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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26121712">The Second Battle of Megalith</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skylinneas/pseuds/Skylinneas'>Skylinneas</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Tales of Strangereal [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Ace Combat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action, Drama, F/M, Gen, Guerrilla Warfare, POV Multiple</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 08:14:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>41,700</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26121712</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skylinneas/pseuds/Skylinneas</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Lighthouse War was over, yet the winds of conflict still filled the skies. Amidst the chaotic aftermath of the satellite disaster, Free Erusea has risen again in a bid to reclaim what they had lost. Left with no other options, the Blue Ribbon takes to the skies once again to deal with this old enemy, which takes him back to the place he never thought he would return again...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Tales of Strangereal [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1895308</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Battle Begins</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>My first attempt at writing an action-centric Ace Combat fic, and oh boy is it not going well xD.</p><p>This short story is a continuation of the last two chapters of my 'A Night In San Salvacion' fic. They serve as a prologue of a sort to this one. It's not required, though. Long story short, Sol Squadron and Cyclops Squadron were patrolling over Spring Sea in a cooperative mission when they received an emergency mission update detailing that Free Erusea had captured Megalith. Mobius 1 and Sky Eye were sent to assist them, and they all fly together to engage Free Erusea at the gigantic superweapon. That's it. ;)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="">Juno 'Sol 4' Andor sighed softly as she checked her flight instruments one last time. She never expected things to get this hectic on her first sortie. It was supposed to be just a normal, peaceful patrol mission over Spring Sea. Another "Free Erusea" uprising put an end to that. Worst of all, they just had to dig themselves in one of the most fortified locations on the planet.</p><p class="">She shouldn't be this nervous: being recommended to be a part of one of the most distinguished air force squadrons on the continent meant she should at least have some level of composure when receiving unexpected emergency missions mid-sortie, and yet there's just something that's making her lose focus somehow, and it's not just the fact that she's going up against the Megalith itself.</p><p class="">She gripped her hands on the control stick as she composed herself. Even though she should be focusing on the mission, she just couldn't take her eyes off the plane flying ahead of her, leading them all into the midnight assault on the gigantic fortress: an F-22 Raptor with a distinctive Blue Ribbon emblem on its tail wings. Even those who have never met him before knows who the pilot of that plane is, even her, especially her.</p><p class="">After all, he was the man who killed her sister.</p><p class="">-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="">Fencer knew he was in the presence of a god ever since the plane with the Blue Ribbon showed up. Even among Oseans, Mobius 1's exploits were the stuff of legends, retold among fighter pilots as much as the tales of the Heroes of Razgriz. He's willing to bet that even Trigger – the infamous pilot with the Three Strikes, who almost singlehandedly ended the Lighthouse War despite all the odds stacked against him and whom Fencer witnessed his heroics firsthand – looks up to the man himself in his early days as well.</p><p class="">The way people talked about how he singlehandedly destroyed seven out of eight turrets of the dreaded Stonehenge, took on the entire might of Erusean Military including its most elite air force squadron, and ended numerous Free Erusea insurgencies all by his lonesome, there's just no way Fencer – or anyone for that matter – would never have heard of the man. His favorite tale, however, was how he stormed the mighty fortress Megalith and stopped the Eruseans from raining destruction on the world – the very fortress that he and his friends were heading toward right now. For him, it's an honor that he and his friends were assigned to be his wingmen – even if it's only temporary.</p><p class="">It's not every day you get to fight alongside your hero, and he's determined not to let him down.</p><p class="">-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="">Mobius 1 took in the sight of the gigantic fortress in front of him. He never expected that he would be back here again after fifteen years. The shadowy ruins of a superweapon of mass destruction laid menacingly basking in the pale moonlight. It had seen some major reconstructions, but overall still looks the same as it was since the last time he was here.</p><p class="">Megalith was supposed to be the end of it all. The war was over – the only battle left to fight was against some stubborn bastards that just won't quit. Yet, those people keep coming back for more. Why must this Free Erusea continue to persist no matter how many times he put them down? Despite all their claims of 'restoring' their precious country, their violent attempts only served to further damage it even more. It's as if these people have a particular aversion to peace or something.</p><p class="">He didn't mind all the fighting – it keeps his skills sharp and a reason for him to come up here. Being an exceptional pilot didn't really leave rooms for other pursuits in life, at least in his mind, but having to put down the same enemies, again and again, is getting very old now. He could only hope that this would be the last time he has to deal with Free Erusea. He had more important things to worry about.</p><p class="">Mobius 1 sighed as he prepared for combat: it's time to get this over with, once and for all.</p><p class="">-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="">A twin formation of ten fighter aircraft soared through the midnight sky over Spring Sea as they headed straight toward the Megalith. Mobius 1 led the charge with his newly assigned wingmen from Cyclops Squadron providing cover. Sol 1 'Wit' led his own formation to the left of them. Far above them, AWACS Long Caster and Sky Eye's E-767s were observing the situation from a relatively safe distance as they coordinate this joint combat operation – the first since the end of the Lighthouse War a month ago.</p><p class="">"Mobius Squadron, Sol Squadron, be advised," AWACS Long Caster began, "Free Erusea has taken control over Megalith and they're using the facility's drone factories to continue to churn out UAVs to support their cause. Your job is to stop them before they could amass a large enough force to strike back at Usea."</p><p class="">"So you'll just gonna have us taking on an entire fortress's defenses on our own?" Tailor – formally Cyclops 3 but currently assigned as Mobius 4 – asked in disbelief, "That's suicide!"</p><p class="">"Relax, Tailor. We have a legend with us tonight," Fencer replied cheerfully, "He's no Trigger, but I can assure you he's a badass in his own right. All we have to do is keeping up with him."</p><p class="">"Heh, I'll believe it when I see it, Mobius 2," Skald – Mobius 3 – chuckled at his squadron leader's replied, "How many enemies are we going up against, anyway?"</p><p class="">"The Free Erusea forces currently consisted of about forty aircraft – about sixteen manned fighters and twenty-four MQ-101 drones," AWACS Sky Eye explained, "Watch out for the ground forces as well. I detected about thirty-two ground targets including tanks, APCs, SAM sites and MG nests, as well as about a dozen attack helicopters."</p><p class="">"So we're outnumbered about four-to-one in just airpower alone," Lanza – Mobius 5 – said in an annoyed voice, "This is Farbanti all over again…"</p><p class=""><em class="">Four on one…just how I like it.</em> Mobius 1 thought.</p><p class="">"What's our objective, Long Caster?" Wit – the young leader of Sol Squadron – asked in a calm voice.</p><p class="">"Achieve total air superiority," Long Caster answered, "<em class="">OFS Admiral Andersen</em> is on its way here to provide us with the ground forces. ETA: Five minutes. Your job is to pave the way for them as they attempt to mount an assault. Should be a piece of cake for you guys, so enjoy the dessert!"</p><p class=""><em class="">Heh, that Long Caster and his food puns.</em> Mobius 1 thought, feeling a little amused at the Osean AWACS' food humor. He's no Sky Eye, but he's alright, plus Sky Eye seemed to trust him so he's good in his book.</p><p class="">"Also, keep in mind that the enemy will keep sending out drones from inside the Megalith," Sky Eye added, "Free Erusea had already sealed all tunnels leading into the interior of the facility, so there's no way you can hit those factories conventionally. We'll have to rely on the ground forces to take them out, so their survival is your priority. Keep them safe until they can get into positions."</p><p class="">"Copy that, Sky Eye," Wit answered.</p><p class="">"All aircraft, begin Operation Last Crusade," Sky Eye announced, "Mobius 1, Sol 1, you two take point. Let's get this mission done by the book, people."</p><p class="">Mobius 1 sped off almost immediately, leaving his 'wingmen' behind as he switched his weapons to XMAA. A cluster of combat drones was flying ahead of him. If he didn't know any better, he would've thought he's in a shooting gallery.</p><p class="">"Enemy fighters within range. Begin saturation attack!" Sky Eye ordered.</p><p class="">"Mobius 1, engaging. Fox three!"</p><p class="">A salvo of four XMAAs launched out of Mobius 1's missile bay. All of them hit their targets, just as Mobius 1 expected. The first shots had been fired.</p><p class="">The other drones sprang into action immediately after that. It was clear to Mobius 1 that those drones weren't programmed to be aggressors, only defenders. That's why they weren't even trying to evade when he fired his first salvo. They were built to retaliate attacks, not initiate them.</p><p class="">"Mobius Squadron, fox three!" Fencer shouted over the radio.</p><p class="">"Sol Squadron, fox three!" Wit confirmed his orders.</p><p class="">Both Mobius Squadron and Sol Squadron launched out their long-range missile salvos at the swarm of drones. The drones and enemy fighters retaliate with missile strikes of their own. The midnight sky was filled with trails of dozens of missile shots. Within seconds, small clouds of inferno lit up the night sky as dozens of drones and enemy fighters exploded when the missiles collided.</p><p class="">"Evasive maneuvers!" Long Caster ordered, "Circle around the enemy."</p><p class="">Mobius 1's wingmen broke away immediately into different directions to evade the missile barrages. Fencer and Lanza went above, evading about half a dozen missiles fired at them before engaging the drones themselves. Skald and Tailor did the same but went after the ground forces instead. Sol Squadron members were a bit more confident. They followed Mobius 1 straight through the missile barrages, using their high speed to get past them before they connect, allowing them to get right in front of their enemies.</p><p class="">"I have you now!" Seymour spoke confidently, "Sol 2, fox two!"</p><p class="">Two missiles from Seymour hit straight into two drones, destroying them both.</p><p class="">"Sol 2, two bogies on your six. Watch out." Sky Eye said.</p><p class="">"Copy that, Sky Eye."</p><p class="">Seymour flew past the swarm of drones, pulling a barrel roll to evade a missile fired from a SAM site on the ground. Two drones were hot on his tail.</p><p class="">"Sol 2, this is Mobius 2. I got your back," Fencer said. He maneuvered his plane into position behind one of the drones following Seymour, "Fox two!"</p><p class="">Another pair of missiles flew from Fencer's plane: one of them hit a target, but the other missed as the drone managed to break away.</p><p class="">"Damn! Those little buggers are fast!"</p><p class="">"Thanks for the assist, Mobius 2," Seymour said, "Don't worry, I got the other one."</p><p class="">Seymour followed the surviving drone, pulling a sharp right turn cutting through the drone's flight path from the inside and shooting it down with a burst of gunfire from his MG.</p><p class="">"Nice kill, Seymour." Fencer complimented, "Textbook low Yo-Yo. I like it."</p><p class="">"Heh. You're alright, Fencer."</p><p class="">Meanwhile, Roald – Sol 3 – went after the attack helicopter groups. Another salvo of 6AAMs managed to take out half of them, while Mobius 1 circled around and take out the other half using the combined arsenal of XMAAs, sidewinders, and some MG bursts.</p><p class="">"Great teamwork, Mobius 1!" Roald exclaimed, "Damn, I almost pity those chopper pilots."</p><p class="">Skald and Tailor went after the ground forces. About six MG nests and two SAM sites were firing at them but they all missed. Midnight sky helped a lot to mask their approaches.</p><p class="">"Those things are annoying as hell!" Tailor grumbled,</p><p class="">"Let's just blow them up then, kiddo," Skald added, "Mobius 3, fox two!"</p><p class="">"Mobius 4, fox two!" Tailor shouted, "Go to hell, ya bastards!"</p><p class="">Four ground targets exploded as the missiles hit into them. Skald almost pitied the poor guys manning those sites: those ground targets never really stood a chance against the air force.</p><p class="">"Heh, so you Oseans are good for something, after all," Hermann – Sol 5 – snarked at them as he rained down gunfire on a caravan of APCs and trucks in the middle of the island, destroying them all.</p><p class="">"That supposed to impress me, Voslagian?" Skald chuckled, "It's easy to say you're good when you pick on targets that can't fire back at you."</p><p class="">"And I'm surprised you can even hit anything at all," Hermann retorted, "I thought Three Strikes would be the only one capable of doing anything useful among you guys."</p><p class="">"Alright, cut the chatter, people," Long Caster reprimanded, "Focus on the mission. There's still a lot of enemies left…Mobius 1, watch for enemy fighters on your six."</p><p class="">Mobius 1 checked his radar. About four enemy fighters and a couple of drones were after him. They probably recognized who he was and rightly wanted him dead.</p><p class="">
  <em class="">Six against one, eh? Should've brought more.</em>
</p><p class="">The two lead bogies fired their missiles at Mobius 1, who dodged them by pulling a Kulbit. As his plane turned over, he launched one missile at an enemy fighter, before quickly switching to another target and launched another missile at a UAV drone. Both of them turned into wrecks in a fraction of a second.</p><p class=""><em class="">Just like how Mihaly used to do it</em>. Wit thought as he observed the ace with the Blue Ribbon in awe. Even when this was the first time he had seen Mobius 1 in action, it was clear to Wit that the Blue Ribbon outclassed his mentor in the same way that the pilot with the Three Strikes did, perhaps even better.</p><p class="">After finishing his maneuver, Mobius 1's plane landed perfectly behind the four other fighters: sitting ducks for his XMAAs.</p><p class="">"Mobius 1, fox three."</p><p class="">Another salvo of XMAAs flew across the sky and hit the four planes that were pursuing Mobius 1 earlier. They never stood a chance.</p><p class="">"Sol 4, watch and learn," Wit commented to his newest wingman, "That is how a real ace pilot flies."</p><p class="">"Copy that, Sol 1…"</p><p class="">Juno replied half-heartedly. She <em class="">was</em> observing how Mobius 1 flies alright, but all she could think about was imagining how this dreaded pilot ran her sister's plane down before shooting her out of the sky. The way he gracefully traversed through the night sky and eliminated his foes like an eagle snatching its prey: extreme precision, extreme ferocity. No pilot would've stood a chance against him.</p><p class="">She dreaded to think what her sister would be feeling in her last moments before she was…</p><p class="">"Sol 4, caution! Enemy bogey behind you!" Long Caster's voice shook Juno out of her trance.</p><p class="">An enemy Su-47 took position behind Juno when she was distracted. She sped off her plane to escape him. Luckily, the engine issue she was having earlier didn't seem to affect thrust much, so she managed to gain a good distance from the enemy plane.</p><p class="">The Berkut drove her into the line-of-sight of the SAM sites below, and they fired a couple of missiles at her. She took a sudden dive once the missiles were closing on her to get under them, before blasting the SAM sites themselves in return.</p><p class="">"Sol 4, the enemy has a lock on you!" Long Caster warned, "Break, now!"</p><p class="">The sound of missile alert began blaring all over the cockpit. The Berkut already fired its missiles at her.</p><p class="">
  <em class="">Calm down, Juno, you can do this. This is what you trained for.</em>
</p><p class="">"I'm not gonna die here," Juno mumbled to herself to focus. She pulled her plane up sharply. Against all odds, she managed to pull a Cobra Turn. The two missiles flew harmlessly pass her by, and she managed to get behind her pursuer.</p><p class="">"Gotcha," Juno spoke as she finally achieved a missile lock, "Sol 4, fox two!"</p><p class="">Two missiles launched straight into the enemy Berkut, eliminating it at last. Juno smiled a little as she flew past the enemy. Not counting the drones earlier, this was her first confirmed kill, and she couldn't help but feel a bit proud about it.</p><p class="">"Sol 4, another bogey behind you, watch out!" Roald shouted over the radio frantically.</p><p class="">Another Su-35 was pursuing her as she was celebrating. The enemy fighter rained some gunfire bursts down on her and managed to hit her on the engines. It was light damage, but it was enough to make Juno panic. This was way more intense than she expected.</p><p class="">"Juno, get out of there!" Seymour said in an alarmed voice. He was busy dealing with three other drones himself, "You are <em class="">not</em> allowed to die, newcomer!"</p><p class=""><em class="">Easier said than done, damn it!</em> Juno thought. She tried to evade her new pursuer, but the pilot was relentless. He matched her move-for-move.</p><p class="">"This is Sol 4, I need support!" Juno requested, "This guy is hot on my tail!"</p><p class="">"Sol 4, stay calm," Wit replied calmly as he circled his plane back to support his wingman, "Keep him on your back for a few more secs. I'm coming."</p><p class="">Juno did as ordered and tried to fly in zig zags. Her pursuer won't give up, however. Wit took up a position somewhere ahead of her. They were flying straight at each other.</p><p class="">"Sol 4, on my command, break right," Wit said, "Three…two…one…NOW!"</p><p class="">Juno broke right just as a missile fired from Wit flew past her and hit straight into her pursuer's plane. Wit flew through the mid-air explosion as Juno circled her plane around and got into position on his left.</p><p class="">"Thank you, Captain," Juno said, though her voice sounded like she's ashamed of her performance rather than thankful.</p><p class="">"I told you to stay close to me, Sol 4!" Wit reprimanded her, "Your plane's not in the best condition. Don't risk yourself needlessly, got it?"</p><p class="">"Yes, sir…"</p><p class="">Despite that little drama, the battle was going pretty well. The combined efforts of Mobius and Sol Squadrons managed to thin down Free Erusea forces down to half strength in less than three minutes, with Mobius 1 being responsible for inflicting the most damage. Only a handful of ground targets were left, and only a couple dozen enemy fighters and UAVs that remained flying. Launching a surprise attack in the middle of the night seemed like a right call, after all.</p><p class="">"Heh, these guys are complete pushovers!" Lanza said cockily, "Heh, maybe I could actually make it back in time for-."</p><p class="">Suddenly, a sound of explosion was heard, followed by Lanza's terrified screaming over the radio.</p><p class="">"I'm hit! I'm hit!" Lanza yelled, "Ejecting!"</p><p class="">Lanza's plane caught fire and exploded right in front of Mobius 1. The guy himself managed to bail out, but he had no choice but to land in the middle of enemy territory.</p><p class="">"Mobius Squadron, Sol Squadron, be advised:" Sky Eye spoke, "The enemy had activated their Pulse Laser turrets. They're installed within the Megalith itself so direct missile attacks won't work against them. Be careful."</p><p class="">"Well, that's something new," Mobius 1 noted as he swerved his plane hard to the left to evade the two laser turrets firing at him from below, "They didn't have those back in the day."</p><p class="">"More bad news, they began sending out reinforcements as well," Long Caster added, "New enemy drones detected on radar. There are ships coming out from the east and west sides of the facility as well. You'll have to take care of them before the ground forces get here."</p><p class="">Mobius 1 flew up high and observe the situation: two new enemy drone groups were coming out of the Megalith access tunnels that he once flew into – now converted into secure drone factories with huge blast doors covering them so he couldn't pull the same trick he did back then to destroy the targets inside.</p><p class="">"Damn, these guys are getting serious now!" Fencer spoke with frustration as he desperately tried to evade the lasers, "Tailor! Track where Lanza landed and circle around his position, do what you can to stop the enemies from reaching him. Skald, you and I will continue to assist Mobius 1!"</p><p class="">"Forget it! I'm not leaving Lanza!" Skald protested, "Tailor, you go with Fencer. I'll take care of Lanza!"</p><p class="">"Shut it, Skald! That's an order! This is a war zone, damn it!" Fencer shouted back as he swerved his plane to evade a pulse laser fire. It missed his plane by just a few meters.</p><p class="">"Goddamn you, Fencer!"</p><p class="">"This is Sol 1. Hermann, go assist them," Wit ordered, "We can take care of things here."</p><p class="">"As you say, Captain…" Hermann sighed heavily as he circled his plane around to assist Tailor to protect Lanza. The man never really liked working with his former enemies, so being ordered to save one of them was not something he'd enjoy doing, but orders are orders.</p><p class="">As Fencer and Skald continue to engage the drones above the pulse laser deathtrap, Sol Squadron members bar Hermann split into two groups and attack enemy ships coming out of the Megalith. About six frigates, four destroyers, and two Aegis cruisers. Mobius 1 wanted to lend them a hand but then decided against it. The drones were far more concerning threats.</p><p class="">"Mobius 1, the enemy has a lock on you," Sky Eye warned, "Break, now."</p><p class="">Mobius 1 pulled a barrel roll, and the missile flew right pass him by. He pulled a sharp turn overhead and managed to get into position behind the enemy drone. The bandit pulled a sharp turn left to evade him, but he pulled a low Yo-Yo and got it within his crosshairs. A burst of MG fire later, and the drone was history.</p><p class="">"Nice shot, Mobius 1" Wit spoke as he managed to take down a destroyer. His wingmen managed to destroy all the frigates by themselves. They didn't pose much of a threat, after all, especially to an elite fighter squadron like Sol. Mihaly's very low-altitude anti-ship approach that he used in Farbanti served his students really well in their assaults on those frigates.</p><p class="">Even Juno managed to take on a destroyer all by herself. Despite not having anti-ship missiles equipped, she approached the target from the back at low altitude which was the ship's blind spot, leaving it open for her assault.</p><p class="">"Sol 4, beginning my assault," Juno announced. She fired a burst of MG to soften the destroyer up a bit, before switching to missiles.</p><p class="">"Fox two!"</p><p class="">Two sidewinders hit straight into the ship's citadel. The resulting inferno eventually caused an explosion that broke the entire ship in half.</p><p class="">"Impressive, Sol 4," Wit complimented, "But don't get cocky. There are a lot more enemies left."</p><p class="">"Yes, sir."</p><p class="">Mobius 1 observed Juno's flying from afar just after he finished dealing with a large group of drones. There's just something about Sol 4's flying that really stuck with him. The young pilot was indeed inexperienced, but not exactly an amateur. She knew what she's doing, at the very least, she's just struggling to do it well. Her flying style seemed pretty familiar to him, though He could've sworn he had seen someone flying like her before. One thing's for sure, she was very determined to impress her squadron leader.</p><p class="">"Mobius Squadron, Sol Squadron, this is Captain Michael Clarkson of <em class="">OFS Admiral Andersen</em>. The cavalry's here," A new voice spoke over the radio, "Thank you for holding out for us. We're about five nautical miles south of you guys. The boys in the choppers have already left. They'll arrive at the Megalith soon."</p><p class="">True enough, the strike teams sent from <em class="">Admiral Andersen</em> soon report in:</p><p class="">"This is Bravo Team. We'll be leading the ground troops. We hit this place once before already so we're familiar with the terrain," Bravo Team Leader spoke up.</p><p class="">All of a sudden, Mobius 1 was distracted for a bit. That voice sounded very familiar.</p><p class="">"Bravo 1, is that you?" Mobius 1 asked in an almost excited voice. He usually doesn't break his stoic personality easily, but an unexpected reunion with an old comrade in arms was a very welcome surprise.</p><p class="">"Yep, it's good to be working with you and Sky Eye again, buddy!" Bravo 1 responded cheerfully, "We bought our new friends with us as well!"</p><p class="">"Sea Goblin Team here. Our chopper will arrive at destination soon!" Sea Goblin Team Leader announced, "Been itching for payback at those Eruseans ever since the Lighthouse. It's time we teach those boys a proper lesson. Just hold out for a bit longer and we'll take care of those lasers for you!"</p><p class="">"Basilisk Team report in. We'll support Bravo and Sea Goblin," Basilisk Team Leader reported, "Someone has to keep those boys in Sea Goblin from messing up again. Those wills aren't gonna shred themselves!"</p><p class="">"Took you guys long enough!" Fencer spoke impatiently, "One of my boys got shot down holding out for you guys. Make sure to bring him home for us!"</p><p class="">"Copy that, Fencer," Basilisk Team Leader answered, "Your boys in Strider helped us out a lot back at Cape Rainy. It's time we return the favor!"</p><p class="">"One big happy reunion party, guys," Sky Eye chuckled, "Mobius Squadron, Sol Squadron, continue to engage with enemy forces. They are down to half strength already so it won't be long until they're defeated."</p><p class="">"Make sure you watch out for those lasers, though," Long Caster added, "They're the same ones installed on the Arsenal Bird Justice, so they're quite powerful. You have to distract them from the landing choppers until the strike team can get into positions to deactivate them."</p><p class="">"So you mean we just wade through the lasers? That's insane, even for me." Roald spoke in disbelief.</p><p class="">"We've been through worse, Roald," Wit reassured, "Deal with the enemies one at a time. We'll worry about the lasers later."</p><p class="">"Easier said than done!" Fencer wailed as he pulled a sharp left turn upward to evade laser fires from down below, "Those things are hard to evade!"</p><p class="">"Use the clouds, you idiot!" Hermann said, "Those lasers can't penetrate through clouds. I thought you would know that already!</p><p class="">"Look around you, smartass! Do you see any cloud here!?" Skald snapped, "Have any 'smart' plan to share with us before we all get shot down!?"</p><p class="">"I'm starting to think Sol 5 is a Free Erusea agent…" Tailor mumbled.</p><p class="">Hermann could only grunt angrily at the Osean pilots as he evaded laser fires himself. As much as he hated their guts, Skald and Tailor were right. The sky was clear tonight. There was no cloud for them to hide from the lasers. They'd just gonna have to evade them the old-fashioned way.</p><p class="">"Uh, guys? This is Sol 4, need a little help here," Juno said over the radio, "Those Aegis cruisers just won't go down. Damn bastards keep shooting down my missiles!"</p><p class="">"Copy that, Sol 4," Sky Eye noted, "Mobius 1, Sol 1, let's give her a hand. One cruiser for each of you."</p><p class="">Sol 1 swooped in to support Sol 4 to take on one cruiser while Mobius 1 took on the other. Thankfully, the pulse laser turrets didn't cover the areas where the ships were, so they were free to engage the ships without having to worry about evading the lasers much.</p><p class="">"Mobius 1, commencing attack."</p><p class="">Two missiles launched out from Mobius 1's plane at the cruiser. Unfortunately, the Phalanx CIWS blasted both of them out of the skies before they could even get near it. Even the Blue Ribbon had to admit that he didn't expect that.</p><p class="">"Sky Eye, this is Mobius 1. Those guys really did improve CIWS on the ships." Mobius 1 reported as he switched to MG and shoot the CIWS on the cruiser the old fashioned way. Took some damage on his plane as a result, but it's negligible.</p><p class="">"Not only that, their armors are thicker as well," Wit added. One of his missiles managed to hit the cruiser, but it didn't even seem to affect anything, "Ever since you destroyed the so-called Invincible Fleet in the last war, the Erusean Navy had made sure to outfit their ships with the best hull armor they can afford. It'd be hard to take them down without proper anti-ship weapons."</p><p class="">"Heh, sorry about that, Sol 1," Sky Eye replied, "Mobius 1, attack it from the above. That should lower the chances of your missiles getting shot down and inflict maximum damage."</p><p class="">Mobius 1 did as Sky Eye advised and fly upward. After he reached a high enough altitude, he turned his plane around and fly downward at the Aegis cruiser right below him before firing some bursts of MG to soften it up first, followed by two sidewinders. He watched on until he's sure that the missiles will hit the target, then he pulled up sharply. The trick worked and the Free Erusea cruiser exploded and sunk shortly after.</p><p class="">"Mobius 1, confirmed kill on Aegis cruiser <em class="">Dúfa</em>. Great job!" Sky Eye congratulated.</p><p class="">Mobius 1 took a quick glance at Wit and Juno, who managed to take care of the other cruiser as well. They both concentrated their fire on the cruiser with both their missiles and MG bursts. The sheer amount of firepower overwhelmed the CIWS barrage and finally hit a critical part of the ship, causing it to slowly list as water began leaking into it and eventually sink into the sea.</p><p class="">"Aegis cruiser <em class="">Kólga</em> destroyed!" Long Caster confirmed, "Amazing teamwork, Sol Squadron."</p><p class="">"All aircraft, be advised: the strike teams are now in position inside the Megalith. They'll take care of the lasers for you, just hold out a bit longer." Sky Eye reported.</p><p class="">"About damn time!" Fencer said, "Don't forget to save Lanza down there. His life depends on you guys!"</p><p class="">"This is Basilisk 1. Copy that, Mobius 2. We're heading to his position right now," Basilisk 1 replied confidently, "After we save your guy, we'll move into the facility."</p><p class="">"All teams, you have your objectives," Bravo 1 instructed, "Disable the laser turrets ASAP, then disable the drone factories, and take command of the facility. This time, we're here to stay!"</p><p class="">"Good luck, strike teams. Our flyboys are counting on you." Long Caster spoke, "Everyone else, continue to engage the enemies at will. Our job's almost done now."</p><p class="">Mobius 1 couldn't help but snicker a bit. If there's one thing he learned from all his experience, it's that things are not going to be that simple. This 'Free Erusea' incarnation offered too little resistance this time around, even with the pulse lasers. Usually, when things are going well in a mission, expect something to go really, really wrong soon. Probably a burst missile, a death laser from above, maybe catching a round from the Stonehenge...</p><p class="">Maybe he's just being paranoid, but better safe than sorry.</p><p class="">"Mobius 1 to all planes: be on the lookout for surprise attacks," I warned the others, "This can't be all of their forces. Be ready for anything."</p><p class="">"Copy that, Mobius 1," Wit agreed, "All this feels too easy. I don't think we saw the last of them yet."</p><p class="">"This is 'too easy' for you guys!?" Skald wailed as he banked his plane to evade a laser shot, "What are you, nuts!?"</p><p class="">"I give up. You guys are just too good…" Tailor spoke in a resigned voice, "Between you guys and Trigger, I don't think I'll get to kill anything with pilots like you around."</p><p class="">"Don't worry, Tailor. Just watch and learn. You'll get there eventually," Fencer encouraged, "I mean, probably not on their level, but at least keeping up with those guys."</p><p class="">"Heh, as if you can keep up with them, Captain!" Tailor retorted.</p><p class="">Mobius 1 sighed. He'd <em class="">never</em> get use to flying with wingmen, especially ones were complete strangers like those guys. At least back then, he got to work with guys in the ISAF that he was somewhat familiar with. They were way more professional than his current 'wingmen' right now.</p><p class="">"Another swarm of UAVs detected on radar," Sky Eye announced, "They just keep coming out of that facility. You'll just have to take them on until the boys on the ground can disable the factories. Watch out for those lasers as well. We don't want to lose more pilots."</p><p class="">"Copy that, Sky Eye," Fencer said, "Let's go kickass, gentlemen."</p><p class=""><em class="">Once more into the fray, then.</em> Mobius 1 thought. <em class="">Just like old times.</em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Ground War</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="">General Aldrich Ducard took a sip from his glass of coffee as he calmly observed the situation on the live video feed. The nine enemy fighters were laying waste to his ground forces outside the Megalith, and three strike teams had roped down from their helicopters and began mounting an assault on the ground. It won't be long until they managed to push through the outer defenses and get inside, just like how they did before a long time ago.</p><p class="">"Sir, we lost seventy percent of our outer defense forces." His trusted major reported. His voice sounded a bit nervous, but otherwise, he remained calm in front of his superior, "The enemy fighters were relentless. They moved too fast for our lasers to hit them."</p><p class="">Aldrich wasn't surprised. How could they hit anything when their opponents were Sol Squadron and the Blue Ribbon pilot himself? The fact that they can even shoot down a plane at all was a goddamn miracle, and even then it's by a surprise attack.</p><p class="">"We might as well be throwing rocks at them with the weapons we have, Glitnir," Aldrich replied, "Consider ourselves lucky that the pilot with the Three Strikes didn't show up as well."</p><p class="">The major sighed, "So we have no chance to win from the start. Is that what you're trying to say, sir?"</p><p class="">Aldrich chuckled a bit. Heh, Glitnir has always been one to voice a strong opinion on the current situation regardless of who he's talking to, but he's a pretty good soldier when all the chips are down, and that's why Aldrich could always put his trust in the man. One of his finest hours had him almost sabotaging the Oseans' efforts to repair the last Stonehenge cannon. Alas, being a good soldier could only get you so far in a world where ace pilots could turn the tide of a war by themselves.</p><p class="">And that's why Aldrich realized the only way to beat those ace pilots is to turn their greatest strength against them.</p><p class="">"We only need to hold out until the project is ready, major," Aldrich finally spoke, "Our engineers are finishing it up as we speak. Only a few minutes more, and it could change everything."</p><p class="">"I still have doubts about this project, sir," Glitnir frowned, "You saw what happened during the Lighthouse War. This could end up pretty badly for everyone involved."</p><p class="">"I know my history, major," Aldrich began, "One of the enemy aces out there is responsible for so many of our losses ever since we started out years ago. Free Erusea could not hope to score a lasting victory as long as that Blue Ribbon is still flying. Our only chance is to turn his own strength against him. Make his flying skills useless."</p><p class="">"And you believe this project of yours can achieve that, sir?"</p><p class="">"Well, we certainly don't have any other option but it, so we might as well put our faith in this one." Aldrich said, "Go see to your men, major. Have them dig in and defend the inner hangar as best you can. Until the project is finished, this facility <em class="">cannot</em> fall. Is that clear?"</p><p class="">"Yes, sir." Glitnir saluted, though his expression didn't show any enthusiasm.</p><p class="">Aldrich turned his attention back to the screen in front of him as Glitnir left the room to prepare his forces. Right now, their only hope for victory lies with the project.</p><p class="">It's funny now that Aldrich thought about it: this 'victory' he was hoping wasn't even going to achieve anything meaningful. There was really no hope for Free Erusea to change things as they were. The new Erusean government wouldn't even want to have anything to do with them anymore. It's proven time and time again that the world won't let them, so why bother with all these pointless uprisings and getting his own people killed pointlessly?</p><p class="">Aldrich glared intensely at the video feed of the plane with the Blue Ribbon as it laid waste to his forces on the screen: a reminder of why he's driven to do what he does.</p><p class="">Pilots like the Blue Ribbon or the Three Strikes, they all need to go in order for the world to achieve true peace.</p><p class="">If there was one thing Aldrich had learned throughout his long military career, it's that it's in human nature to cause conflicts. All that peace talks and ceasefires to prevent bloodshed? Admirable, but they would never last long. As long as humanity still possesses the weapons of war, another pointless conflict will happen eventually. It is inevitable.</p><p class="">And in this world where elite fighter pilots are the key in deciding the outcome of wars, they are the greatest weapons of all.</p><p class="">It was the legendary Yellow Squadron that led Erusea to glory in the previous war – then they were defeated by the superior ace pilot who flew the plane with the Blue Ribbon. The previous squadron leader of Sol Squadron was regarded as one of the best pilots in the world, and his flight skills were used to make superior AI drones that almost went on to conquer the world itself, and yet they were all defeated by the plane with the Three Strikes. All these, and that's only the ace pilots who were active on Usean Continent alone.</p><p class="">All these conflicts happened and escalated through those elite pilots. To them, wars are nothing but a performance stage for them to hone their skills. They are hunters who swallow up their preys mercilessly on the battlefields. They are the reasons why this world will never have peace as long as their presences still filled the skies.</p><p class="">That's why he will take it upon himself to remove those dreaded threats from the sky. The previous Free Erusea uprisings failed because the enemy aces were too good at what they do. If flying is what they're good at, then he will make it useless. He will turn their own strength against them, and make them feel the desperation when they realize that no matter how good they are, they will not save the day with their skills.</p><p class="">This time, the hunters will become the hunted, and Project Icarus will be the key to it.</p><p class="">----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="">"Contact!"</p><p class="">Jason 'Sea Goblin 1' ducked behind a wall just as bullets narrowly missed his head. Damn Eruseans had a machine gun nest set up down a corridor they had to pass through.</p><p class="">"Damn it, we have to go through this way to get to the control room!" Brad 'Sea Goblin 5' shouted from the opposite corridor where Jason was at, "There's no other way around!"</p><p class="">"Stay put! We can get through this!" Jason ordered. They only have to wait until they have to reload the ammo, then they could toss a grenade at them. Textbook counter.</p><p class="">True enough, the machine gun fire finally died down. Jason peeked through the corridor and saw the Erusean soldier manning the machine gun desperately tried to reload it.</p><p class="">"Suppressing fire! Lucas! Get a grenade out there!"</p><p class="">Jason shouted. He and his men then rained fire on the machine gun nest to prevent the enemy from retaliating as Lucas 'Sea Goblin 3' prepared his grenade. He cooked the grenade for a few seconds before he threw it, ensuring that the enemy won't have the time to throw it back.</p><p class="">"Eat this, you assholes!" Lucas growled as he tossed a grenade at them, "Fire in the hole!"</p><p class="">
  <em class=""> <strong class="">BOOM!</strong> </em>
</p><p class="">The sound of explosion echoed through the corridors and soon followed by painful wails. Jason led his team across the corridor to the machine gun nest and found a couple of survivors bleeding out. Even Jason had to look away in disgust.</p><p class="">"Nothin' we can do 'bout them, boss. Their wounds are too deep." Wade 'Sea Goblin 11', the medic of the team said.</p><p class="">"Serves them right for what they did at the Lighthouse," Lucas replied bitterly, "Those assholes killed my friends."</p><p class="">"They were my friends too, Lucas." Wade said, "That doesn't mean we should treat their killers like they're not human beings."</p><p class="">"Those sons of bitches stopped being humans the moment they murdered Harling," Lucas growled, "After everything he did to try and help them, and that's how they 'repay' him? Those bastards deserve to die painfully just for that."</p><p class="">"Alright, cut the chatter, people," Brad ordered, "Focus on the mission. Our job's not done yet."</p><p class="">"Yes, sir…" Wade and Lucas said, though their voices suggested they weren't really happy with it.</p><p class="">Jason couldn't help but feeling a bit conflicted. He won't deny that he felt a bit satisfied when he saw those Eruseans getting what they deserved. They killed some of his friends at the International Space Elevator during the war, after all. Operation Lighthouse Keeper where the attempt to save Vincent Harling ended in complete failure after the Sea Goblin team that was supposed to extract him were all annihilated by the Erusean soldiers, forcing Harling to find other means to escape which ended up killing him as well.</p><p class="">Needless to say, the Sea Goblin members who didn't participate in that fateful mission were understandably pissed. Some of the men who died that day worked with them ever since the days of the Circum-Pacific War. They had to rescue Harling back then, too, but that time it ended well for all of them. Of course, they had the Razgriz pilots to support them back then, but still.</p><p class="">God, he missed the Razgriz pilots. Kyle, one of his buddies who perished at the Lighthouse, said he always harbored a crush on Captain Nagase back then. That jerk always said that he wanted to ask her out on a date. Damn, it's a real shame he never got to live to see Nagase returned from space.</p><p class="">That's why it wasn't a surprise that some of his buddies were a bit…too eager to take the fight to the Free Erusea soldiers in this mission. They had lost a lot of friends thanks to them, and now they're looking for that sweet, sweet payback.</p><p class="">But still…was it the <em class="">right</em> thing to do? The Razgriz pilots wouldn't have wanted this.</p><p class="">Jason shook his head to drive the thought away. Now was not the time for thoughts. They still have a mission to be done, and those flyboys were counting on them.</p><p class="">"Sea Goblin, move out!</p><p class="">----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="">"Any sign of enemies, Liz?"</p><p class="">Marcus 'Basilisk 1' asked Liz 'Basilisk 4' as she scanned the area for enemy soldiers. They found themselves in a large hallway filled to the brim with large machinery equipment, all of them combined together to form a massive drone factory running 24/7 to churn out drones after drones. After they reached a certain number, the large blast doors at the southern end of the corridor would open up and allowed the drones to fly out, before the doors closed again to prevent outside forces from flying in.</p><p class="">"I spotted about two squads of soldiers, sir," Liz replied as she put her binoculars away, "And an APC patrolling the down the hall."</p><p class="">"They have APCs in here?" Tony 'Basilisk 7' asked, "I thought they already moved all the armors outside."</p><p class="">"Those Eruseans are smarter than we thought," Oscar 'Basilisk 6' said, "They knew that our flyboys couldn't hit them from the outside, so they moved some of their armors in here."</p><p class="">"Tony, you think you and your boys have enough C4s to account for the APCs as well?" Marcus asked, "We still have to destroy those factories, but we can't do it with those armors in our way. We need to get them out of the way first."</p><p class="">"Yeah, I think I should have enough," Tony replied, "As long as we don't waste any of-AMBUSH!"</p><p class="">Without warning, bullets started flying all over the place where Basilisk Team was at. The team scrambled to find cover among the mazes of shipping containers.</p><p class="">"Liz, behind you!" Oscar shouted.</p><p class="">Liz turned around and saw two Free Erusea soldiers standing above her on a container to her right. She threw a knife into one of the soldiers, killing him instantly, before quickly going into cover as the other soldier fired at her. The soldier was then subsequently killed by Oscar, who shot him with his sniper rifle.</p><p class="">"Damn it, these guys are everywhere!" Tony yelled as he sprayed out bullets from his LMG at enemy soldiers following after him.</p><p class="">"Keep suppressing them, Tony! Oscar and I circle around them!" Marcus shouted back, "Liz, you cover him. Oscar, you take point!"</p><p class="">Oscar led the way as both he and Marcus sprinted through the containers to circle around to the side of the enemy squad. They ran into an enemy soldier around a corner, but Oscar managed to stab him with a knife and took him down silently. Soon after that, they finally get into positions behind some boxes. The enemy squad was right in front of them, taking cover from Tony and Liz's suppressive fire.</p><p class="">"About seven guys. They don't see us coming." Oscar said quietly, "We can take 'em."</p><p class="">"Use a grenade to be sure," Marcus said.</p><p class="">Oscar did as commanded and pulled out a grenade's pin. He let it cooked in his hand for a couple of seconds before he threw it over to the Erusean soldiers. They didn't even have a chance to run away before the grenade exploded under their feet.</p><p class="">"NOW!"</p><p class="">Marcus and Oscar stood up and fired at the surviving Erusean soldiers. Combined with Tony and Liz's suppression fire, the Eruseans never stood a chance. A few moments later, the seven Erusean soldiers laid dead at their feet.</p><p class="">"I'm pretty sure they know we're here now," Liz noted, "We'll have to plant those explosives before the APC gets here, otherwise we'd be in trouble."</p><p class="">"Let's hope we could still find a way to take care of that thing when it shows up. The air force can't help us in here like back at Cape Rainy. We'll have to take care of ourselves." Marcus said.</p><p class="">"Basilisk 2 just called in," Oscar added, "Brody said he and his team are in positions in the other factory. They'll take care of them and rendezvous with Sea Goblin and Bravo at the tower."</p><p class="">"Good, let's get this done quick and clean."</p><p class="">
  <em class=""> <strong class="">BANG!</strong> </em>
</p><p class="">The four Basilisk members instinctively took cover after they heard a gunshot. They followed the sound and notice a Free Erusea officer with a hole in his head falling dead in the distance. His killer appeared from behind a nearby box before grinning once he saw the Basilisk Team's collective bewilderment expression.</p><p class="">"Man, you guys really are helpless without us pilots," Lanza said,</p><p class="">"Where the hell have you been!? I thought I told you to stick close to us!" Oscar said in a frustrated voice, "We have no time to babysit anyone on a mission!"</p><p class="">"I'm sorry. Did it ever occur to you that <em class="">I'm not a soldier</em>? I'm a freaking pilot!" Lanza retorted, "I'm lucky that you didn't get me killed in the ambush back there. You guys ran away without telling me where to go, so what was I supposed to do? I had to find somewhere to hide!"</p><p class="">"Well, for a pilot, you didn't fly so well, apparently." Liz chuckled.</p><p class="">"Heh, it's actually the Three Strikes pilot who did most of the work back then," Tony added.</p><p class="">"Alright, forget it, let's move. Those Eruseans will be back here any second now." Marcus ordered, "Lanza, I know you helped us out a lot at Cape Rainy back then, but if you can't keep up, we have no choice but to leave you behind, got it? The success of this mission is too important."</p><p class="">"Right, right," Lanza nodded while inspecting his pistol, "Don't worry, I can take care of myself down here."</p><p class="">"Let's go plant those bombs, people," Marcus commanded, readying his assault rifle, "I'm sick of seeing those drones already."</p><p class="">----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="">"Reaching the 13th floor!"</p><p class="">Gregor 'Bravo 1' reported as the elevator doors opened, revealing a large hall that used to be the command center of the base. Old, dusty control panels, battle damages, even blood strains from the previous engagement were still there after all these years.</p><p class="">To his right, Gregor saw the blast doors leading into the sub-control room – the very same room that he and his team hit in order to open the exhaust vent for Mobius 1 to fly in and destroy the ballistic missile back then. He lost a lot of good men holding this place while Mobius 1 was taking care of the generators.</p><p class="">"<em class="">Pull back, pull back!"</em></p><p class="">"<em class="">Leave him, he's dead!"</em></p><p class="">"<em class="">Our path of retreat's been cut off! We're trapped!"</em></p><p class="">It was like a trip down a bloody memory lane for Gregor – one that he had hoped never to reminisce again.</p><p class="">"The Free Erusea Commander isn't here," Altman 'Bravo 2' said, "He must've relocated the command center to someplace else."</p><p class="">"The only other place he could be is on the top floor: floor 15," Oliver 'Bravo 9' guessed, "From the blueprints, the base commander's private quarters should be here."</p><p class="">"Which also makes it the most secure place in the fortress." Brandt 'Bravo 3' said, "It's gonna be a tough battle to get through there, maybe even harder than the last time we were here."</p><p class="">"Regardless, we have to do it. Our pilots are counting on us." Gregor said. Coincidentally, he felt a sense of déjà vu again.</p><p class="">"<em class="">Don't let our pilots die!"</em></p><p class="">"Gregor? You alright?" Altman asked as he shook Gregor back to his sense, "Your face went pale for a while there."</p><p class="">"I'm fine, I'm fine," Gregor said before shaking his thoughts away, "Brandt, which of these stairs leads to the 15th floor?"</p><p class="">Brandt pointed to the set of stairs on the east side of the hall, "There, that one, and you're not gonna like it, boss. There won't be any cover from here all the way up there. It's gonna be one big kill zone in the Erusean's favor, and there's no other way around."</p><p class="">"Then it's a good thing we packed our own flamethrower for a change," Hendricks 'Bravo 12' said confidently, "It's time to give them a taste of their own medicine!"</p><p class="">"Why do I think the real reason you still use that thing all these years is waiting for this exact moment?" Altman frowned, "Seriously, who still uses flamethrowers nowadays?"</p><p class="">"Hey, it's good for close range encounters…LOOK AT WHAT THIS BAD BOY CAN DO!" Hendricks yelled as he suddenly fired his flamethrowers into one of the corridors, burning a couple of Free Erusea soldiers who were just about to run into the hall, "CONTACT! Enemies in the corridors!"</p><p class="">"Get into cover!" Gregor shouted as he and the rest of Bravo Team get into cover behind the control panels. The Free Erusea soldiers were pouring into the hall from the surrounding corridors.</p><p class=""><em class="">Not this shit again</em>. Gregor thought. <em class="">This is exactly how it happened back then.</em></p><p class="">Trapped in the control room fighting for their lives as the Erusean soldiers pouring in from every direction: that has got to be the worst déjà vu experience ever.</p><p class="">"We need to get to the top floor!" Altman grumbled as he shoots at the enemy soldiers hiding in the eastern corridor, "This place is too wide open!"</p><p class="">"Brandt! Deploy smoke grenades!" Gregor ordered, "We can't run out there exposed like this! Give us some cover!"</p><p class="">"Yes, sir!" Brandt replied before throwing some smoke grenades out, each in the directions of the four corridors leading into the hall they were in. Bravo Squad waited as the smokes slowly filled the hall. Eventually, Free Erusea soldiers stopped running into the hall, realizing that it'd be suicide to run blindly into the smoke.</p><p class="">"Altman, you and your men hold positions here while we go up there," Gregor told his second-in-command, "I'll radio you once we cleared the enemies up there and you can follow us up."</p><p class="">"Be careful, sir. We never made it that far last time. You don't know what you'll find up there." Altman replied.</p><p class="">"Will do, sarge," Gregor smiled before turning toward the rest of his men, "First squad, follow me up the stairs! Hendricks, you take point. Use your flamethrower to clear us a path."</p><p class="">"With pleasure, boss!" Hendricks grinned widely like the maniac he is, before running off toward the stairs with his flamethrower blazing into the directions of the nearby corridors, "BURN, YOU ARSEHOLES!"</p><p class="">Gregor couldn't help but winced a little at Hendricks' pyromaniac-ness. Sometimes, he's more scared of the guy than the Eruseans, and that's really saying something.</p><p class="">----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="">"This is Mobius 2. What the hell is taking the ground forces so long!?" Fencer shouted impatiently into his radio, "Those lasers and drones are still harassing us!"</p><p class="">The battle over Megalith was turning into a stalemate. Both Mobius Squadron and Sol Squadron were thinning down the number of enemy fighters, but the pulse laser turrets firing from within the fortress still proved to be a trouble for them, and new drones just keep coming out. Sooner or later, they'd run out of missiles.</p><p class="">"Ground teams, report your status." Sky Eye ordered.</p><p class="">"This is Sea Goblin 1, we're almost at the laser control room," Jason's voice replied through the radio, accompanied by sounds of gunfire, "Give us a few minutes."</p><p class="">"Basilisk 1 here, we're planting explosives right no—LOOK OUT!" Marcus shouted over the radio, followed by a sound of explosion, "Watch out for that APC!"</p><p class="">"Bravo 1 reporting. We're heading toward the top floor. Shouldn't be long until we break through." Gregor reported, "Once the enemy commander is captured, the battle will be over!"</p><p class="">"Copy that, ground teams," Long Caster said, "You heard them. Just hold out for a while longer, people!"</p><p class="">----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="">"Fire in the hole!"</p><p class="">Brad shouted before he detonated the explosives on the door leading into the laser turrets control room. Brad threw a flashbang into the room, blinding the occupants inside before he led his team into the room with guns blazing.</p><p class="">"Smile, you son of a bitch!" Lucas screamed as he fired his shotgun into an Erusean soldier at point-blank. The guy's torso was painted red with his blood, as did Lucas's face after he was done with him.</p><p class="">Two more Erusean soldiers appeared from behind a cover and put their hands in the air.</p><p class="">"We surrender! We surrender!" They both cried out in unison. Lucas wasn't having any of it.</p><p class="">"Screw you!" Lucas yelled and whipped one of the soldiers to the ground before preparing to blow his head off, but Wade restrained him from doing so.</p><p class="">"Chill out, man! They already gave up!" Wade shouted, "Give them a chance!"</p><p class="">"Get the hell off me, Wade!" Lucas shouted back, "They <em class="">didn't</em> give my friends a chance at the Lighthouse, so why should I?!"</p><p class="">"Stand down, corporal!" Brad ordered as he moved in and restrain Lucas, "We're soldiers, not murderers. We don't go around shooting people for fun."</p><p class="">"They killed my friends! They killed Harling!" Lucas yelled, "And you're protecting them!?"</p><p class="">"Do you think Kyle would've wanted this, Lucas? Do you think this is what Harling would've wanted?" Jason said as he searched the surrendered Eruseans for weapons, "They already paid the price for their mistakes. You don't have to put a bullet in their heads just to prove a point. They were doing their jobs, just like us. You're a soldier, so act like it."</p><p class="">Lucas gritted his teeth as he stared at Jason and the surrendered Eruseans back and forth with hatred in his eyes, then he finally relented and put his weapon away, "Let's just get this shit done and go home. I've had enough of this fuckin' country."</p><p class="">As Brad and Wade took care of the surrendering Eruseans, Jason moved to inspect the consoles on the other side of the room. Above him was a large screen showing all live feeds of the laser turrets as well as their statuses.</p><p class="">"Damn it, I need a password to deactivate those turrets," Jason mumbled, "Wade! You think you can hack this thing?"</p><p class="">"Let me have a look, boss," Wade said as he walked over to the console and start inputting commands. After a while, he slammed his fist on the nearby desk in frustration.</p><p class="">"The firewall's too strong," Wade sighed, "I can't get through the security with what I have, and it'd take days to brute-force for a password."</p><p class="">"Aquila." A voice spoke.</p><p class="">Jason and Wade turned toward the speaker, who turned out to be a surrendered Erusean officer. He walked over to the console and input in the password himself, "The password is Aquila."</p><p class="">"That supposed to mean something?" Jason asked.</p><p class="">"It means everything to me," The Erusean officer replied, "That's why I'm helping you do this."</p><p class="">"Why should we trust you?"</p><p class="">"Because we want the same thing, commander. We want this pointless battle to end," The officer answered, "Besides, it's not like you have any choice if you want to deactivate those lasers."</p><p class="">"Heh, touché."</p><p class="">Jason observed the Erusean officer as he put in commands on the console. The guy seemed to be a major, and his expression seemed like he's tired of fighting these endless battles for something that he didn't believe in anymore.</p><p class="">"There. It's done." The officer said as he stared at the big screen above him. The green 'Online' statuses for the turrets had all turned into red 'Offline'.</p><p class="">"Thank you for the assist," Jason said, "I'll take your actions into consideration during your trial."</p><p class="">"The battle is not over yet, commander," The officer replied grimly, "My superior still has one more trick up his sleeves: a secret project. He was confident that it could turn the tide of battle in his favor."</p><p class="">"A secret project?"</p><p class="">"Something he called 'Project Icarus'," The officer answered as he plugged in a USB drive, before playing a new video file on the screen, "The only thing that you need to know about it is that it's bad news. Very bad news."</p><p class="">"Holy shit," Wade exclaimed. His eyes couldn't believe what he's seeing on the screen, "God help us."</p><p class="">----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="">"YEEHAWWW!"</p><p class="">Lanza yelled with excitement as he stepped on the gas pedal, punching his Humvee through a pile of boxes and made a sharp left turn into the long hallway, with Liz and Tony hanging in the backseats for dear life. Lanza couldn't believe his luck: what are the chances of finding a working Humvee in one of those shipping containers that they can freely use?</p><p class="">"You madman! This isn't a fighter jet!" Tony cried out, "Where the hell did you learn to drive!?"</p><p class="">"From a crazy air force captain who never shuts up about his ex!" Lanza replied. He had no idea what prompted him to say that, either.</p><p class="">"Pretty sure I know why he got his ass shot down now-HOLY SHIT!" Liz screamed as Lanza drove the Humvee over a ramp and launched the car into the air, before landing on a group of Erusean soldiers on the ground, "Lanza, you goddamn maniac!"</p><p class="">"Lanza, Liz, Tony, what the hell are you people doing!?" Oscar shouted impatiently over the radio, "I thought I told you to find a way to get rid of that APC!"</p><p class="">"What do you think we're doing right now!?" Lanza shouted back as he swerved the car to avoid hitting the large enemy APC in front of him. The APC was firing on the rest of the Basilisk Team who were pinned down behind some machinery and boxes and didn't seem to notice the Humvee on its right yet.</p><p class="">"Liz, Tony, get the APC's attention. Let's give it something else to shoot at!" Lanza ordered.</p><p class="">"Wait, your plan is to use us as bait!?" Liz wailed, though she still climbed up to man the machine gun turret, "That's it, I'm done with you pilots type!"</p><p class="">"Remind me to kick your ass once we get back!" Tony yelled as he threw a couple of grenades at the APC, while Liz sprayed the machine gun at it. The APC finally rotated its main cannon toward them at last.</p><p class="">"Shit, they noticed us alright! Drive! Drive! Driveeeeeee!" Liz yelled. Lanza did as told and stepped on the pedal again, just as the APC's cannon was lining up at them. Their car wouldn't last long against the cannon's firepower.</p><p class="">Marcus and Oscar observed as the APC reversed and followed Lanza's Humvee through the length of the factory, giving them some time to finish planting their explosives and get the hell out. He just hoped that Lanza wouldn't get two of his men killed in the process.</p><p class="">"Alright, they cleared the path for us, let's blow this thing up and go home!" Marcus ordered, "Oscar, you still have those C4s that Tony gave you?"</p><p class="">"Plenty of 'em," Oscar replied, "I'm setting up some bombs over there at the conveyor belts. Should be enough to stop the production line."</p><p class="">"Good. If those things can't assemble, then they can't fly," Marcus said as he began placing bombs, "I just hope we don't run into any more surprise."</p><p class="">Meanwhile, Lanza was blasting through the assembly line at full speed to evade shots from the APC's cannon. This was a whole new experience from evading missiles in the air, but deep down, he actually liked it.</p><p class="">"That thing's armor is too thick for our weapons!" Liz shouted as she futilely shot at the APC with little no effect, "We need something stronger!"</p><p class="">"Tony, didn't you have a C4 with you?!" Lanza asked, "Use that thing already!"</p><p class="">"How do you expect <em class="">me</em> to put it on that thing while we're driving at this speed!?" Tony shouted.</p><p class="">"ARE YOU AN IDIOT!?" Liz yelled, "Just throw it on the ground and detonate the damn thing when it runs over, you jackass!"</p><p class="">"Alright, alright! Workin' on it!" Tony mumbled as he ducked for cover and prepare his C4. After a moment, he prepared to throw his C4 in front of the APC, just as it was opening fire.</p><p class="">"Son of a-!" Lanza cursed as he swerved the car hard to the left to evade the shot. Tony was caught off-guard by this and had to use both his hands to hold on to the car.</p><p class="">"Fuck!" Tony cried out, "I dropped the fuckin' C4!"</p><p class="">"Great work, you jackass!" Liz yelled, "How are we supposed to get rid of it now!?"</p><p class="">"Both of you, shut up! Let me think about this!" Lanza shouted at both of them. He swerved right to evade a shot from the APC cannon. It narrowly missed the Humvee by a few meters. Even if they knew that the APC has blind spots, he couldn't turn the car around to get to it as there was no place to turn safely with all the shipping containers lying around, and they just can't reverse the car, either, as it'd make them a sitting duck for the APC's cannon.</p><p class="">Lanza peeked through the windshield and glanced around. There were pieces of machinery holding UAV drones above them.</p><p class="">"Liz, Tony, I got an idea," Lanza spoke, "You see those drones above us? We can drop 'em down on that thing if we time it right. Just shoot at the cranes holding them!"</p><p class="">"You're out of your freaking mind!" Tony cried in disbelief.</p><p class="">"JUST DO IT!" Lanza yelled. Another shot from the APC's cannon hit somewhere just ahead of the car, a little too close for Lanza's comfort. That APC needed to go, <em class="">now</em>.</p><p class="">"Tony, you aim at the right arm. I'll get the left one." Liz pointed at the UAV hanging above them as their car ran past it. They only need to wait until the APC is right under it.</p><p class="">"On my count…three, two, one, now!"</p><p class="">Liz and Tony fired their weapons at the arms holding the UAV above. The sheer firepower broke through the metals holding the arms to the ceiling, and the UAV fell down – right on top of the APC that was following them, crushing it beneath the debris.</p><p class="">"Hell yeah! Now that's a freaking airdrop!" Tony cheered as he watched the smoking wreck of the enemy APC with a large grin on his face.</p><p class="">"Told ya it'd work!" Lanza yelled happily, "That's how we did it at Cape Rainy! Damn, I like dropping loads on those bastards!"</p><p class="">"That sounds so freaking wrong when you say it out loud," Liz chuckled, though she had to admire Lanza's crazy stunt that got them all out of this mess, "Come on, let's go pick up the others and get the hell out of here."</p><p class="">----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="">The base commander's private quarters were right ahead of Bravo Team's first squad. Hendricks led the charge by igniting every Erusean soldier he came across while Gregor and the other soldiers provide cover for him. The flamethrower worked wonders in the tight corridors of the inner fortress. Both Gregor and Hendricks know this well. It's how the Eruseans gave them so much trouble the last time they were here.</p><p class="">"Fry, ya bloody Eruseans!" Hendricks laughed crazily as he continued to burn everything in his path, "Get a taste of your own medicine, you arseholes!"</p><p class="">Suddenly, hails of bullets started firing everywhere in the last corridor before they reached their goal.</p><p class="">"Hendricks, you bugger! Get back!" Gregor shouted as he pulled Hendricks into cover before he was torn to shreds. He peeked through the corner and saw a wide, open corridor with no cover. At the end of it was the door leading into the private quarters – guarded by two machine gun nests and a full squad of soldiers.</p><p class="">"Damn, whoever is behind that door must be someone important," Hendricks guessed, "Looks like we're at the right place."</p><p class="">"They will shred us to pieces before we could even make it halfway," Gregor noted, "Brandt, you still have any smoke grenade left?"</p><p class="">"Only one, and it's not gonna help us much with a corridor this wide," Brandt replied in a grim voice, "This is going to hurt whether we like it or not, commander."</p><p class="">"This is as far as you can go!" One of the Erusean soldiers down the corridor shouted, "Turn back and get lost elsewhere! You won't get through this door!"</p><p class="">"I'll burn the fuckin' Megalith itself down if I have to, ya bastards! Say your prayers!" Hendricks taunted them back before sighed deeply and punched a nearby wall in frustration, "Goddamn it! So close!"</p><p class="">"This is Bravo 2! Commander! Hendricks! Can anyone read me!?" Altman's panicked voice cried out of the radio, "The Eruseans are overrunning us down here! We need you to clear the top floor now! We're coming up there!"</p><p class="">"Shit. At this rate, they'll have us trapped here," Gregor noted, "There's nowhere to go."</p><p class="">
  <em class="">Come on, think! We've come this far. We can't let those pilots die!</em>
</p><p class="">Suddenly, Hendricks grabbed the smoke grenade from Brandt, pulled the pin out, and threw it into the corridor before anyone had a chance to react.</p><p class="">"What the hell are you doing!?" Gregor asked furiously.</p><p class="">"We have to get to that door, commander," Hendricks replied. For once, his voice didn't sound so bloodthirsty, "This is the only way."</p><p class="">"No. No, you stupid bugger…" Gregor mumbled, "You are <em class="">not</em> doing this, Hendricks. That's an order!"</p><p class="">"Wasn't asking for permission, sir," Hendricks said in a resigned voice as he tightened up his body armor. By this time, the corridor was filled with smokes by now.</p><p class="">"Send my regards to the Blue Ribbon. Tell him it's an honor. I'm proud to have served with you all, sir."</p><p class="">Before Gregor could say anything, Hendricks pushed him to the floor, before he ran at fast as he can into the corridor of death.</p><p class="">"Hendricks, you stupid fucker!" Gregor shouted after him, but it was too late.</p><p class="">Hendricks ran through the smoke. The Eruseans initially didn't fire back, not knowing what to expect, but as Hendricks get closer and closer to his target, they finally saw him through the smokes.</p><p class="">"Holy shit, FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!" One of the Erusean soldiers cried out, terrified to see the beast of a man that was Hendricks charging through the corridor like a stampeding bull, hanging behind him two canisters full of gas and a belt of grenades around his waist.</p><p class="">"ARRRRRRRRRRGGGGG!" Hendricks screamed like a berserker as he charged through hails of bullets, trying to ignore the pain until he could get close enough. Just a few paces more.</p><p class="">Frankly, he didn't even really feel anything but warmth as the gas canisters on his back exploded and engulfed him in a raging inferno.</p><p class="">He reached his target.</p><p class="">
  <em class="">This one's for you, Ribbon.</em>
</p><p class="">----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="">Aldrich took cover as the door behind him exploded into smithereens. Some of his soldiers were hurled into the room from the force of the explosion. The last line of defense had finally broken. His bodyguards moved into position to protect him, but they were all shot dead moments later by the soldiers that breached the room.</p><p class="">By the time Aldrich realized what's going on, there was a gun pointed at his head.</p><p class="">"Game's over, General Aldrich," Gregor spoke with venom in his voice, his expression full of hatred and pain. He had to exercise a lot of restraint to stop himself from shooting Aldrich dead right then and there, "Tell your men to stand down, <em class="">now</em>."</p><p class="">"It won't help you, commander," Aldrich said calmly as he glared at Gregor with no fear in his eyes, "I've already won."</p><p class="">A few seconds later, a computer voice echoed throughout the room.</p><p class="">"Project Icarus activated."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Project Icarus</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="">Mobius 1 observed the situation. His 'wingmen' had managed to take care of all remaining outer ground forces, while Sol Squadron continued to thin down the drone numbers in the sky. Twelve minutes had passed since the start of the mission. For normal people, it may seem like a short while, but for fighter pilots like him – it was an eternity. Many things can and <em class="">will</em> happen in a span of a minute. Lives could be taken in a split second.</p><p class="">That was why he was glad to finally see that the sky was now clear of enemy fighter planes, at least for the moment, and the outer ground forces and ships were all but annihilated. The pulse laser turrets had stopped firing courtesy of the Sea Goblin Team. The Basilisk Team were just blowing up the bombs they planted in the drone factories, and the Bravo Team had broken the last line of defense inside Megalith and was moving in to capture the Free Erusea commander. The battle was all but won.</p><p class="">At least, that's what he thought at the time.</p><p class="">"Bravo 1 report in…we managed to breach the base commander's private quarters," Bravo 1 reported, though Mobius 1 sensed grief in his voice, "We got…some casualties."</p><p class="">"Copy that, Bravo 1," Sky Eye replied, "Did you manage to convince the enemy to surrender?"</p><p class="">"The commander did, but there's a complication," Bravo 1 replied, "He managed to activate something called 'Project Icarus'. We don't know what it is yet. Be on the lookout for any surprise attack out there."</p><p class="">"Project Icarus? It can't be…" Seymour mumbled, "I thought King said that project was discontinued!"</p><p class="">"Looks like the 'General' is here, too," Wit said, his voice sounded uncharacteristically nervous, "I should've known he was behind this."</p><p class="">"Sol 1, care to clarify?" Fencer asked, "Who's this 'General' you're talking about? And what the hell is Project Icarus!?"</p><p class="">"Hold that thought, Mobius 2. I detected a new enemy on the radar. Stay alert." Long Caster ordered, "My God…it can't be."</p><p class="">"What is it, Long Caster?"</p><p class="">"All aircraft, break, now! The enemy is coming out of the Megalith!" Long Caster said, his voice sounded panicked, "Mobius 1, it's coming right at you! Break! Break!"</p><p class="">Mobius 1 glanced at the fortress. He saw a flash of red beam firing toward him.</p><p class="">"Damn!"</p><p class="">Mobius 1 swerved his plane just in time to evade the death laser, preventing it from hitting his plane directly. However, his right wing's tip was grazed a bit. It was a miracle that the entire wing didn't get blown off.</p><p class="">Before he could realize what's going on, a mysterious aircraft flew past him at blinding speed. He barely had time to make out just what the hell he was up against: a large, jet black fighter plane – one that he never saw before, but he knew someone who had, and it's not good news for him in the least.</p><p class="">"All aircraft, the enemy is an ADF-11F RAVEN," Mobius 1 said as he checked over his instruments and make sure they were all running correctly, "I repeat, the enemy is a RAVEN."</p><p class="">"Not this thing again!" Fencer wailed, "I thought we'd seen the last of these things when Trigger shot them down at the Lighthouse!"</p><p class="">"Sol 1, you're seeing this?" Seymour asked. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Wit didn't answer right away. Seymour looked at his plane and saw that Wit was flying idly as he observed the beast of a plane that almost killed him at the Lighthouse.</p><p class="">"Wit, are you okay?"</p><p class="">"I'm…I'm…fine, Sol 2," Wit replied, trying to keep his voice as calm as he could, "Sol Squadron, get into positions behind me. This is going to be a tough fight."</p><p class="">"Copy that, Sol 1." Each member of the Sol Squadron confirmed in order.</p><p class="">"Sol 4, <em class="">do not</em> leave my sight even for a second!" Wit told Juno, "This is going to be a tough battle, so I want you to stick close to me, got it?"</p><p class="">"Yes, sir."</p><p class="">Wit's mind was racing. If this drone was anything like the drones he fought at the Lighthouse, it'd most likely pick on weaker targets first, just like how Mihaly used to do it. By that account, Sol 4 would be the most vulnerable of all his wingmen.</p><p class="">
  <em class="">It was a bad idea to involve her in this sortie.</em>
</p><p class="">"Attention, all fighters. We have to engage the drone to ensure the success of our mission," Long Caster announced, "The IFF target has been updated. The enemy drone is designated 'Valravn'. Go shoot that thing down."</p><p class="">Mobius 1 observed the drone. It was surprisingly agile and nimble for a plane of its size. After firing at him, Valravn moved to engage his 'wingmen' flying nearby, starting with the most inexperienced pilot among them first.</p><p class="">"This is Mobius 4! Shit! The damn drone is chasing my ass!" Tailor shouted over the radio as he tried desperately to shake the drone, but it was matching him move for move flawlessly, "I need support!"</p><p class="">"This is Sol 5. I'm here to save your ass, newbie!" Hermann replied, "Keep it busy for a few more seconds!"</p><p class="">"Do whatever you want, just get this thing off my back!"</p><p class="">Hermann grudgingly obliged as he flew into position to provide cover for Tailor. His superior plane and skill allowed him to chase after Valravn more efficiently.</p><p class=""><em class="">If Three Strikes could do it, then so can I.</em> Hermann thought, <em class="">Drones will never replace humans!</em></p><p class="">Tailor managed to keep the drone on his back without getting himself shot down yet, allowing Hermann to match Valravn move for move. Some more sharp turns and loops later, Hermann finally got the target within his sight. He zeroed in on the Valravn with a small, confident smile on his face.</p><p class="">"I have a lock on the target," Hermann said, "Sol 5, fox two!"</p><p class="">Two sidewinders were launched out of Hermann's plane, heading straight toward Valravn. Suddenly, the drone pulled up with extreme speed, pulling a perfect Kulbit move and shot the two missiles out of the sky with its pulse laser.</p><p class="">"Oh cr-"</p><p class="">Hermann didn't even have a chance to finish his word before Valravn fired a TLS beam at him, splitting his plane cleanly in half, starting from the cockpit.</p><p class="">Sol 5 was no more.</p><p class="">"Hermann, no!" Skald cried out, "Goddamn it!"</p><p class="">"Sol 5…lost," Long Caster confirmed, his voice sounded shaken as well. This was the second time he had to go through something like this, and based on what happened last time, it's only going to get worse from here, "Keep it together, people! You can do this!"</p><p class="">Wit watched the event unfold with a blank stare. He could do nothing but stare at what's left of Hermann's plane exploded in mid-air as Valravn finished its Kulbit move and continue its pursuit of Tailor.</p><p class="">The pain he suffered in the fight with Hugin and Munin began to act up again.</p><p class="">"Shit! Tailor! Watch out for that laser!" Skald shouted.</p><p class="">"I can't shake that thing!" Tailor's frantic voice replied. The young pilot was terrified out of his mind right now, "Someone, help!"</p><p class="">Despite his best efforts, the Valravn's laser hit into Tailor's plane's engines, causing a minor explosion.</p><p class="">"I'm hit! I'm hit!"</p><p class="">"Goddamn it, eject already, Tailor!" Fencer yelled, "Get the hell out of there, kid!"</p><p class="">As his plane spun out of control, Tailor tried to keep his mind awake. He managed to bail out of the plane at the last second before it exploded into flames below him.</p><p class="">"Mobius 4 has successfully bailed out," Sky Eye confirmed, "That was a close one."</p><p class="">"This is Mobius 4…I'm alive…" Tailor's distorted voice spoke through the radio wearily, "I made it…I…"</p><p class="">Without warning, Valravn took a sharp dive and fired its TLS again, aiming at a small target in the darkness.</p><p class="">Tailor didn't even have the time to scream as the laser vaporized him in mid-air. There was no trace of him left behind, not even the parachute.</p><p class="">"TAILOR!" Fencer cried out in anguish, "GOD FUCKING DAMNIT!"</p><p class="">"This bastard's showing no mercy!" Skald added as he looked on what happened to Tailor in horror.</p><p class="">"Mobius 4…lost…" Sky Eye confirmed, "I've never seen anything like this before…"</p><p class=""><em class="">Not since Yellow Squadron</em>. He finished inside his mind.</p><p class="">"Fuck, fuck, fuck," Skald mumbled under his breath, "We're all gonna die…"</p><p class=""><em class="">Two pilots KIA in less than a minute</em>. Mobius 1 thought as he observed the situation. Even he couldn't deny that he was feeling a sense of dread himself. He could see now that the fearsome reputation of those drones was well-earned. No wonder why it took the entire combined might of Osea-Erusea forces to take two of these things down at the Lighthouse, and even then it's a close battle. Now they were down to only seven planes.</p><p class="">
  <em class="">This is going to be tough.</em>
</p><p class="">"Sol 3, Sol 2. We'll fight this thing together," Wit said, trying to keep his voice calm, though Mobius 1 could still sense that dread in his voice, "Sol 4, you must retreat."</p><p class="">"But captain!" Juno protested, "You ordered me not to leave your sight!"</p><p class="">"Goddamn it, Juno!" Wit snapped, "This is not a fight you're ready for, newcomer! Get the hell out of here before that thing kills you! That's an order!"</p><p class="">Juno grunted, frustrated at her own lack of experience, but she also realized that her squadron leader was right. She knew about what happened at the Lighthouse - and seeing the dreaded RAVEN drone killing two pilots in front of her just earlier, it's not hard for her to figure out that she was way out of her league.</p><p class="">"…Understood, captain. Sol 4, retreating…" Juno said in a resigned voice before pulling back at fly away as the rest of Sol Squadron moved in to attack.</p><p class="">"Skald! Go protect Sol 4!" Fencer ordered, "Don't let her be alone by herself. She'll be an easy target if that thing goes after her."</p><p class="">"But captain! You can't fight that thing alone!" Skald protested, "I'm not leaving you behind!"</p><p class="">"You're not gonna be any help here, damn it!" Fencer yelled, "This thing is too good for both of us and you know it. Just get out of here before you get yourself killed like an idiot!"</p><p class="">"Goddamn you, Fencer!" Skald cried out, "Mobius 3, retreating! I'm providing cover for Sol 4!"</p><p class="">"This is Mobius 1, I'm moving in," Mobius 1 said, "All planes, stay back. Let me deal with the drone. I don't want any more casualty."</p><p class="">"Negative, Mobius 1," Wit argued. He dodged another laser shot and two sidewinders from the RAVEN as he circled around to get behind it, "This drone <em class="">will</em> learn from you. It learned from Three Strikes at the Lighthouse and he barely managed to shoot it down. We need to attack it together to take it down as quick as we can before it could gather our flight data."</p><p class="">"I can confirm, Mobius 1," Long Caster added, "We cannot let the drone gather all of your flight data. It's too risky."</p><p class="">"Damn it…" Mobius 1 mumbled, "Okay, let's kill this thing as fast as we can."</p><p class="">Wit maneuvered his plane to evade Valravn's attacks while Mobius 1 got into position behind it. The drone tried to pull the same move that killed Hermann, but Mobius 1 saw it coming.</p><p class="">
  <em class="">Not this time, punk.</em>
</p><p class="">Mobius 1 made a quick barrel roll to the right to avoid Valravn's laser while also fired a couple of missiles at it in the process. One of them managed to land a hit.</p><p class="">"Missile hit on UAV!" Long Caster confirmed, his voice sounded a little more hopeful now, "We can still win this!"</p><p class="">Valravn seemed to lose its bearing for a second. Wit circled around and had the drone in his sight.</p><p class="">"This is for Hermann," Wit spoke, "Sol 1, fox two!"</p><p class="">Another pair of missiles launched at Valravn. It managed to dodge both of them by diving down quickly, though Wit already anticipated this. It dived right into his MG range and Fencer's sight.</p><p class="">Wit unleashed hails of bullets on the drone while Fencer launched a pair of sidewinders. One of Fencer's missiles managed to hit it, and Wit managed to land some MG shots in as well.</p><p class="">"Take that, you son of a bitch!" Fencer yelled, "I'm gonna blow this thing up!"</p><p class="">"Negative, Mobius 2!" Sky Eye suddenly spoke up, "Attention, Mobius Squadron, Sol Squadron, <em class="">do not shoot down the UAV.</em> I repeat, <em class="">do not shoot down the UAV!</em> There's an emergency update on the mission!"</p><p class="">"What do you mean we can't shoot that thing down?! We're already hammering it!" Fencer asked.</p><p class="">"Negative! Do <em class="">not</em> attack the Valravn!" This time, it's the voice of Bravo 1 coming out of the radio.</p><p class="">"Bravo 1, please clarify," Mobius 1 asked, "Why can't we shoot it down, over?"</p><p class="">"That thing is hotwired to a nuclear warhead hidden inside its missile bay. If you caused it enough damage, the warhead will detonate and kill us all!" Bravo 1 explained, "You <em class="">must</em> cease all further attacks against it! We cannot risk triggering the warhead or it'd kill us all!"</p><p class="">"WHAT!?"</p><p class="">Shouts and mumblings of disbelief came out of Mobius 1's radio. He couldn't believe what he was hearing himself. Suddenly, it quickly dawned upon him just what he was really up against:</p><p class="">
  <em class="">A drone equipped with a nuclear warhead which will detonate if it was shot down, ensuring that he cannot win without getting everyone killed in the process.</em>
</p><p class="">----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="">General Aldrich watched the event on the live video feed unfold with a satisfied smile on his. Everything had gone according to his plan perfectly. The RAVEN drone had already managed to take care of two more enemy fighters and was now having its ways with the rest – and there was nothing they can do to stop it. For all their flying prowess, they were powerless when facing an enemy that they simply cannot shoot down.</p><p class="">"Captain Gregor, I presume?" He asked the soldier holding him at gunpoint, "I heard a lot about your exploits. Your last time breaching this very fortress left quite an impression on the Erusean Military, not to mention your consistent efforts in sabotaging Free Erusea operations across Usea all these years. Your fame is well-earned."</p><p class="">"Stop with the pleasantries already, General. You and your men have eluded me for so long, but it ends today," Gregor said as he tighten the grip on his gun, "Tell your men to stand down or I'll blow your brain's out."</p><p class="">"In case you hadn't notice, captain. My men have yours outnumbered," Aldrich began, his voice remained calm and cold as ice, "Your friends on the 13th floor are now being pushed back up here, and my men will corner all of you in the hallway you just came through. If you kill me, you won't make it out of here alive."</p><p class="">"And why the hell should I care!?" Gregor growled as he pushed the gun toward Aldrich's forehead, "As long as I can stop you from causing any more chaos, I'll gladly die if I get to drag you to hell with me."</p><p class="">"That's very uncharacteristic of you, captain. I thought you North Pointers would not be this aggressive. I guess I pushed your buttons too many times," Aldrich frowned, "Regardless, I'm sure I can convince you of one more reason not to kill me. It'd be the biggest mistake you could've made."</p><p class="">Gregor hesitated for a second. Is this guy playing games with him? Even after he had no chance to fight back? As much as he wanted to pull the trigger, he finally pulled his gun away from Aldrich's head, though he's still aiming it at him.</p><p class="">"Tell me, Captain Gregor, have you ever heard the tale of Icarus?" Aldrich continued, his question directed at the former ISAF major standing beside him with a gun at his head.</p><p class="">"I don't care. Tell me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you," Gregor threatened, "I have no time for games!"</p><p class="">"Ah, but this isn't a game, captain," Aldrich chuckled, "The nuclear warhead will detonate if the drone cannot detect my life sign. If you kill me, the warhead will blow up immediately. Do you want to be responsible for a nuclear fallout on Twinkle Islands, captain? Another Waldreich Incident?"</p><p class="">Gregor tightened his grip on his pistol. As much as he hated this maniac in front of him, he realized that killing Aldrich will not change anything. Project Icarus was activated, and there's nothing anyone can do to stop it.</p><p class="">"That drone is operating on its own now. There's nothing anyone can do to disable it. Not even me. You'll achieve nothing by killing me and you know it," Aldrich continued, "It'll take care of your fighters, then it will move on to the space elevator and complete the mission its predecessors have failed. Usea would forever be a no-fly zone from that point on, and the rest of the world shall soon follow."</p><p class="">Gregor's eyes widen in shock. He couldn't believe what he was hearing right now.</p><p class="">"So your plan is to ensure the complete destruction of humanity? You're a goddamn maniac."</p><p class="">"Please, captain. What would I gain by driving humanity to extinction?" Aldrich said, "I just wanted to satirize the world of all these pointless wars, all that destruction caused by people killing each other for some cause that they don't even believe in, all those arms races between nations that were tearing the world apart slowly every day. Project Icarus can put an end to all that. The new drone fleet will make sure of it. Nothing will stand in their way, not even the best pilots in the world – as you can probably see right now. If anything, I'm <em class="">saving</em> the world from itself. There will be everlasting peace."</p><p class="">"You're delusional!" Brandt shouted out angrily, "You speak of removing conflicts by holding the entire world hostage and kill anyone who gets out of line. How is <em class="">that</em> peace?!"</p><p class="">"And what <em class="">is</em> peace to you, soldier? A brief pause between conflicts where nothing is gained except better ways to kill people when the guns started firing again?" Aldrich retorted, "The world has seen too much chaos. It needs order to balance it. I cannot let humanity destroy itself from constant warfare. Someone has to put them in line whether they like it or not."</p><p class="">Aldrich sighed. He sat down wearily on a nearby chair. Gregor continued to aim the gun at the general, but his grip on it started to waver.</p><p class="">"I know about Icarus. He's that one guy who flew too close to the sun and fell to his death when his wings were melted off," Gregor began.</p><p class="">"Exactly. He was overcome by the joyful freedom he got from soaring the skies on his wings. He didn't hold back and fly as high as he can. He had gone too far, and it cost him his life." Aldrich said, "There are consequences of unrestricted freedom, captain. Like it or not, humanity is now going down the same path Icarus once did. We build weapons of wars again and again. Wars become less about ideals and more about business as usual. Worst of all, we create new breeds of unstoppable pilots who become better and better at raining destruction on the battlefields."</p><p class="">General Aldrich poured out his words like he was waiting his entire life to share them. For a brief second, Gregor could saw the old officer for what he was: a man broken from fighting so many wars in his lifetime and not really achieving anything. He could almost pity the guy if not for the atrocities he had done and is about to do.</p><p class="">"<em class="">We are destroying ourselves</em>, captain. We're flying straight toward the sun, and sooner or later it will be the death of us all," Aldrich continued, "Just tell me how many conflicts have happened over the turn of the century? How many wars have Erusea started? How many conflicts have the Belkans taken part in? How many times Osea's involvement in the world affairs brought nothing but chaos? How many more wars must humanity go through before it finally learns its lesson?"</p><p class="">"You're assuming the worst of humanity," Gregor retorted, "We're good at causing conflicts, but that doesn't mean we <em class="">like</em> it. When Erusea attacked us, we just fight to defend ourselves. We don't want wars if we can help it. You want to keep us in check, too?"</p><p class="">"It doesn't matter what you choose to believe, captain," Aldrich said dismissively, "The fact is the world is not going to run out of wars as long as we still have the means to cause it. Accept it, captain, the only way we can stop future conflicts is to ensure nobody is capable of starting one in the first place, and Project Icarus is the only way we can achieve that."</p><p class="">Suddenly, there were sounds of gunfire and explosions coming from the hallway. Gregor looked back and saw Altman backing down the hall with the rest of the survivors of Bravo Team. They were being pushed back toward this room, and there's nowhere to run.</p><p class="">"Looks like you're caught between a rock and a hard place, captain. No, maybe I should say 'caught between a Stonehenge round and a Scinfaxi's missile'. Heh, excuse my poor humor," Aldrich laughed, "You cannot kill me, yet you cannot leave this place. You've already lost, captain. Face the truth and surrender. You and I both know the pain of losing the men under our command. Lay down your weapons and spare their lives. I do not wish to take more lives than necessary."</p><p class="">"Shut up. It isn't over until <em class="">I</em> say it's over."</p><p class="">"Still think your precious Blue Ribbon would somehow turn this battle around like he always does, captain?" Aldrich chuckled, "Very well, captain. Let's see how this pointless game of yours will end."</p><p class="">----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="">The dogfight above Megalith was not going well.</p><p class="">The Valravn had deployed its two WEAPON UAVs in response to the damages it suffered from Mobius 1, Wit, and Fencer's combined attacks. The two drones went after their wingmen instead, after realizing that they can pick weaker targets one by one first.</p><p class="">"Sol 3, on your six! One of the small drones is behind you!" Long Caster warned, "Break, break!"</p><p class="">"Damn it!" Roald grunted as he pulled evasive maneuvers to avoid one of Valravn's WEAPON UAVs as it fired a laser beam at him. Damn thing was flying as fast as its mother bird.</p><p class="">"Sol 3, fly toward me." Seymour spoke up, "I'll hit it from the front."</p><p class="">"Copy that!"</p><p class="">Roald pulled another barrel roll, barely dodging the laser beam from cutting off his left wing. He dived down quickly toward the sea and stayed at low-altitude. Apparently, the small drone wasn't programmed to follow him below a certain altitude. He could use that against it.</p><p class="">"Heh, not so smart now, eh?" Roald mumbled, amused at the flawed AI's programming as he alternated between flying low and flying high to keep the small drone distracted, luring it toward Seymour.</p><p class="">"Seymour, it's on you!" Roald shouted.</p><p class="">"Sol 2, fox two!" Seymour confirmed.</p><p class="">Two missiles launched out of Seymour's plane toward the small drone as Roald flew past him by. One of the missiles hit into the drone and turning it into scrap metal immediately.</p><p class="">"Confirmed WEAPON UAV kill, Sol 2. Great job!" Long Caster complimented.</p><p class="">"This is Sol 3! The other drone is running me down!" Roald's panicked voice shouted over the radio.</p><p class="">While Seymour was distracted with the first small drone, the other one managed to ambush Roald as he was letting his guard down.</p><p class="">"This is Sol 1, I'm coming!" Wit spoke. He applied thrust to his engines to get to Roald's position, but a laser blast from Valravn stopped him from doing so. The mother bird was keeping him occupied as one of its offspring hunted down his friend.</p><p class="">"Hold on, Sol 3! Hold on!" Wit shouted. He was desperately trying not to get himself killed as well. Valravn was just as vicious as Hugin and Munin back then, with its perfect movement based on his former mentor and the Three Strikes himself.</p><p class="">"I'm hit! I'm hit!" Roald let out a horrified scream after his plane was hit by the small drone's laser, "I'm sorry, capta—."</p><p class="">Roald's last lines were cut off into static. Wit could only saw through the corner of his eyes the flaming wreck of Roald's plane plunging into the sea. There was no parachute deployed.</p><p class="">"Sol 3 lost…" Sky Eye said, "This is not looking good…"</p><p class="">"Goddamn it!" Seymour shouted, "I've had it with those fuckin' drones!"</p><p class="">Seymour blasted off toward the small drone that killed his friend while Wit was occupied with Valravn. Mobius 1 assisted him in whichever he could, but he could not take the shot even if he had a clear lock on it. The only thing he could do was to keep it away from shooting down anyone else, and even then – he cannot keep this up forever. Eventually, Valravn would learn his flying style and used it against him, and there would be no way to stop it at all.</p><p class="">"This is Mobius 2, I'll assist you, Sol 2," Fencer spoke up, "That little shit killed my friend, too. It's time for some payback."</p><p class="">Seymour and Fencer teamed up as they fly together in a formation and went after the remaining small drone. If they can't hit the mother bird directly, at least they can take care of its offspring.</p><p class="">"Mobius 2, attack it from the left. I'll attack it from the right," Seymour said, "Hit it at the same time."</p><p class="">Fencer went left and fired a missile at the small drone. The drone dodged by pulling a quick loop upward and made a turn. It fired its laser at Fencer once they were flying head-on.</p><p class="">"Shit!" Fencer swerved his plane right to the right, narrowly avoided the death laser, but he still had the drone within his sight. He fired his remaining missile at the drone again.</p><p class="">The drone made a static noise as it avoided Fencer's missile again. They flew past each other at high-speed. Fencer turned to look as the drone flew past him by at high speed, with Seymour in hot pursuit.</p><p class="">"Eat this!' Seymour shouted as he launched his missiles at the drone again. The drone pulled a sharp u-turn and evaded his missiles again.</p><p class="">It was not so lucky this time, though.</p><p class="">"Mobius 1, fox three."</p><p class="">Mobius 1 fired a salvo of XMAAs the split second he had a lock. The missiles fired from the distance took the small drone by surprise. It didn't anticipate a long-range attack while it was engaged in a close dogfight. Two of them hit straight into the drone and finally taking it down at last.</p><p class="">"All WEAPON UAVs destroyed!" Sky Eye confirmed, "Great job, Mobius 1."</p><p class="">"Don't celebrate just yet. We still have the mother bird to deal with." Fencer said, "Skald, how are you doing, buddy?"</p><p class="">"Still dandy, captain!" Skald replied, "Me and Sol 4 are now flying over <em class="">Admiral Andersen</em> outside of the mission area. We should be safe here."</p><p class="">"This is Sol 4, I can confirm," Juno added, "We'll provide cover for <em class="">Admiral Andersen</em>. Take care of that monster for us."</p><p class="">"Will do, Juno. Glad to know you're okay," Seymour replied, "We'll figure out how to deal with this thing."</p><p class="">"All remaining planes, form up on me," Mobius 1 ordered, "Don't let that thing sneak up on you."</p><p class="">"Copy that, Mobius 1" Fencer said.</p><p class="">Seymour, Fencer, Wit, and Mobius 1 formed up in a tight finger-four formation as they went after Valravn together. The four fighters kept together closely and always had one another's back as they kept at Valravn's back. The drone could not target any of them individually.</p><p class="">"We got it on the run!" Fencer said, "Damn it. If only there is a way to shoot it down…"</p><p class="">"We have no choice, Mobius 2. Until the ground forces can get their job done, all we can do is trying to stay alive." Seymour noted.</p><p class="">Suddenly, the drone pulled a sharp 180-degree turn and fired something out of its missile bay: a large, black missile with orange flaming trails cutting through the night sky at breakneck speed.</p><p class="">"What the hell was that? Did it just launch the nuke!?" Fencer asked with terror in his voice.</p><p class="">"No, it's not the nuclear warhead, it's…" Sky Eye paused for a moment before he realized something horrifying.</p><p class="">"Mobius 3, Sol 4, get out of the area now!" Sky Eye shouted in a panic, "<em class="">Admiral Andersen</em>, take evasive action immediately!"</p><p class="">"This is Captain Clarkson. What was that, Sky Eye? The message is not clear, over." Captain Clarkson replied, his voice was mixed among the static.</p><p class="">"A <em class="">Helios</em> ballistic missile is heading toward you!" Sky Eye said, "Evasive action now, Captain! Evasive-"</p><p class="">Suddenly, the night sky lit up as a gigantic bright blue explosion appeared in the south. Mobius 1 had to look away from it: the explosion was so blinding as if it was a supernova caused by a dying star.</p><p class="">There were a lot of confused grunts, mumbles, and screams all over the radio, he couldn't even make out who was saying what:</p><p class="">"Shit! What's happening!?"</p><p class="">"What the hell was that!?"</p><p class="">"Anyone has eyes on Sol 4?!"</p><p class="">"Skald! Skald!? You alright, buddy!?"</p><p class="">"<em class="">Admiral Andersen</em>'s status unknown!"</p><p class="">"All planes, maintain formation!"</p><p class="">By the time Mobius 1 realized what happened, his wingmen weren't beside him anymore: the shockwave from the blast distracted them and they accidentally broke their tight formation. The Valravn was nowhere to be found in front of him.</p><p class="">"This is Mobius 1. Sol 1, Sol 2, Mobius 2, where are you!?"</p><p class="">"Mobius 2 here, I'm below you!" Fencer replied, "I don't know what happened to the others! I don't know what the hell's going on!"</p><p class="">"This is…..Long Caster….," Long Caster's distorted voice came out of the radio, "Mobius 3 lost…Sol 4….<em class="">Andersen</em>...Watch ou-...your six!..."</p><p class="">"This is Sol 1. Mobius 1, it's right behind you!" Wit shouted over the radio, "Break! Break!"</p><p class="">Mobius 1 instinctively rolled his plane to the side. A missile narrowly flew past him by and exploded somewhere on his right, causing a minor shockwave. Before Mobius 1 could even have a chance to catch his breath, another laser blast almost cut his left wing in half had Mobius 1 rolled a little slower. The Valravn was pursuing him relentlessly like a predator.</p><p class="">Even if there were times that he managed to turn the situation around and had it within his sights, he could not shoot it down because of the nuclear warhead.</p><p class="">For the second time in his life, Mobius 1 had felt the dread of fighting a hopeless battle – something he had not experienced since his first engagement with Yellow Squadron all those years ago.</p><p class="">Slowly but surely, a horrible truth dawned upon him:</p><p class="">
  <em class="">This is not a fight that he can win.</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The name 'Valravn' was chosen to be the name of the third ADF-11F RAVEN to keep up with the mythological raven names that Hugin and Munin had set up in AC7. According to the Danish folklore, 'Valravn' means 'raven of the slain'. The rest is copied from wiki: "they (valravns) are described as originating from ravens who eat the bodies of the dead on the battlefield, as capable of turning into the form of a knight after eating the entire heart of a child, and, alternately, as half-wolf and half-raven creatures." This fits the theme of a fighter pilot AI learning from its enemies perfectly. Heh, and Valravn actually sounded pretty cool.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Tide Turns</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="">Jason kept his eyes on the Free Erusea major as he led them through the innermost part of the Megalith, trying to find an elusive 'secret hangar' that he claimed was the center of Project Icarus. All the while, voices through his radio equipment informed him of the commotion outside.</p><p class="">He had seen it earlier: the blueprints of that spawn of hell that was the 'Valravn', and General Aldrich's endgame plan using it. The drone itself was a modified model of ADF-11F RAVEN fought at the Lighthouse: having an enlarged missile bay that allows it to carry large cruise missiles like <em class="">Helios</em>, or even a tactical nuclear warhead. Valravn was more or less the ultimate body armor, protecting those missiles until it can launch them at their targets, and nobody could shoot it down thanks to its extreme maneuverability and the capacity to learn from its enemies.</p><p class="">"Why are you helping us?" Jason asked the Free Erusea major again, "What's your stake in this?"</p><p class="">"Why should we even trust you after all the shit you guys pulled?" Lucas added, "For all we know, you could be leading us into a trap."</p><p class="">"I told you earlier: I want this pointless battle to end, and I will do what I must. Whether you trust me or not is your problem, not mine." The major replied, "I'm not about to be responsible for a possible nuclear holocaust or another drone uprising, not when my country had just achieved peace."</p><p class="">"Yet you willingly followed your commander here," Wade said, "Why still follow that nutcase around if you'll just gonna end up betraying him?"</p><p class="">"Don't be so quick to judge the General," The major said while giving Wade a disapproving glare, "He may have lost his way, but Aldrich Ducard is still a great hero. He saved my life multiple times in the previous Continental War. Him and Matias Torres…they are the reason why Erusean casualties were not as great as it could've been."</p><p class="">"Doesn't excuse his decision to form Free Erusea and everything he did after that," Brad retorted, "He continued to incite conflicts all over Usea again and again, and yet he has the audacity to declare that he knows what's best for us. What a hypocrite, both him and Torres."</p><p class="">"The harsh reality of war can break even the noblest man, sergeant," The major said, "He was tired of all the battles he fought, so he seeks to end them permanently by whatever means necessary. If there is a possible way that you can prevent all future conflicts from happening, would you honestly say that you would not at least tempted to try it?"</p><p class="">"Sure, because the intention makes all the differences in the world, apparently, no matter how many times it led us straight to hell," Lucas snarked, "It's just the same old story. People like your boss wanted to change the world, and people like us who have to suffer the consequence. I won't have any sympathy for someone like that."</p><p class="">"And I'm not asking you to. I'm just telling you to see things from his point of view," The major replied with no anger in his voice. Even Jason had to admire the man for that. Lucas was always harsh with his words.</p><p class="">"You haven't answered my question, major. If you admire the man so much, then why did you betray him? It's not just because you wanted this battle to end, is it?"</p><p class="">The major didn't reply right away. He sighed deeply as if reliving some painful memories.</p><p class="">"I was once a commander of an elite air force squadron in the previous war," He began, "They…they were among the best fighter pilots in the world at the time, but they all fell against the Blue Ribbon pilot. I don't hold it against him, though. He was just doing his job for his country, and so were they."</p><p class="">Jason could see some hint of sadness in the major's eyes. It was clear that even after all these years, he still couldn't get over his past.</p><p class="">"I outlived the pilots under my command, every single one of them," He continued, "I know what it feels like to lose your comrade in arms, lieutenant. Nothing good ever comes out of conflicts. That's why I wanted to put an end to this madness before anyone else has to throw their lives away needlessly."</p><p class="">"Didn't you general claimed that his plan would stop all future conflicts?" Jason asked, "If his plans actually succeeded, it would've removed all future conflicts as well. Why turn back from him?"</p><p class="">"As much as I respect the good general, his plan wouldn't have changed anything except bringing more chaos to the world," The major explained, "Removing weapons won't remove conflicts as long as we don't change ourselves for the better. I just wish that the general could've seen that."</p><p class="">"It's a bit too late for remorse, isn't it?" Lucas said, "You're just saying all this because you have nothing else to fight for."</p><p class="">"I won't deny that I did a lot of terrible things, soldier," The major replied, his voice a bit irritated at Lucas's response, but nevertheless he remained calm, "But now I have a chance to do something right for once in my goddamn life, so I would appreciate it if you could cut me some slack here while I'm trying to save all our asses including yours."</p><p class="">That actually earned a small chuckle out of Lucas.</p><p class="">"At least you've got guts. I'll give you that," Lucas said, "I still don't trust you, but we don't have a lot of choices right now. Do what you must, but don't expect me to save you when the chips are down."</p><p class="">The group marched through the corridors without any other interruption. Eventually, they reached a hallway leading into a medium-sized hangar with about two squads of soldiers guarding it. The Sea Goblin Team took positions behind the walls as they observed their surroundings.</p><p class="">"This is the Project Icarus hangar," The major began, "We can find a way to disable the nuclear detonation system from there, but we have to be careful. General Aldrich devoted most of his elite soldiers here. With luck, I can convince them to stand down, but if not, then we must be ready for a tough fight."</p><p class="">"Whatever it takes to end this nightmare," Brad said, "Those pilots need our help. They're sitting ducks up there. The Valravn is slaughtering them."</p><p class="">"Let's move, people. Every second we wasted here could decide the fate of our pilots," Jason said, "Major, you better hope this plan of yours worked."</p><p class="">"That makes two of us, lieutenant," The major replied.</p><p class="">----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="">"Mobius 1, watch out for the laser!" Sky Eye warned, "Don't get in its line-of-sight."</p><p class=""><em class="">What do you think I'm trying to do, Sky Eye?!</em> Mobius 1 thought.</p><p class="">He was losing patience, something he rarely experienced before, which didn't help him in his flying at all. He made a sharp dive toward the sea to evade the laser fired from Valravn. The drone was determined not to let him go easily. With every move he made, every extreme turns or loops he pulled, the drone always managed to keep up with him. It learned from the pilot with the Three Strikes and now it's learning from him, and it's definitely a quick learner.</p><p class="">"Mobius 1, this is Sol 1. Me and Sol 2 will try to drive it away," Wit said, "Getting into positions now."</p><p class="">Wit and Seymour flew after the Valravn to keep it from attacking Mobius 1, with limited success. Both Mobius 1 and Valravn were performing moves that both Voslagian aces never thought would be possible, even after witnessing what Mister X and Three Strikes can do.</p><p class="">Moves after moves, Mobius 1 avoided the Valravn's attacks narrowly with the sharp twists and turns. Apparently, even after learning what he could do, the drone couldn't replicate his moves perfectly. There was always a slight mistake, a slight flaw, which allowed him to just barely avoid its attacks. Being human, he had his limits, though. Endurance is not something drones have to contend with, unlike human pilots. However skilled he was, he cannot keep this up forever.</p><p class="">"This is Mobius 2. I'm in front of you, boss," Fencer said, "Lure that thing here and I'll blast it off your back. If the Sol pilots fire at it at the same time, that thing would have no choice but to break off."</p><p class="">"Good idea, Mobius 2," Long Caster said.</p><p class="">"Let's hope this works," Mobius 1 added. He maneuvered his plane in a straight line as he flew toward Fencer head-on. It was not long before the missile lock warning was blaring inside his cockpit: Valravn didn't waste any time getting a lock on him once it had him within his sight.</p><p class="">"Sol 1, I have a lock," Wit said as he finally had a lock on Valravn after so long.</p><p class="">"Sol 2, I have a lock," Seymour added.</p><p class="">"Mobius 2, I have a lock," Fencer confirmed, "Let's get this bastard."</p><p class="">Wit, Seymour, and Fencer fired their missiles at the same time, all directed at the Valravn. Mobius 1 dodged his plane out of the way just as Fencer's missile flew past him. The Valravn, instead of pursuing him, finally broke off to evade the oncoming missiles. That managed to finally get it off Mobius 1's back, but it created a new problem in the process.</p><p class="">"This is Sol 2. The drone is after me!" Seymour shouted, "I can't get it off my back!"</p><p class="">The Valravn found its new target. Since it was done learning everything it could from Mobius 1, there's no point pursuing him if it couldn't shoot him down despite its skills. Instead, it decided to unleash its fury on weaker targets.</p><p class="">Seymour was barely keeping his plane from being disintegrated into pieces by the Valravn's laser fires. Wit tried to assist him, but what could he do? The drone was too good for him to handle even back at the Lighthouse, and back then it only had Mihaly's flight skills when it shot him down. Having both the Three Strikes and the Blue Ribbon's movesets mean this was a hopeless battle for him even if the nuclear warhead was not a factor.</p><p class="">"I'm hit!" Seymour wailed. A laser shot from Valravn grazed his left tail wing. He managed to remain flying, but barely. Even Wit could see that he's not going to survive the next shot.</p><p class="">"Seymour, land in the water," Wit ordered as he fired some MG barrage at the drone to distract it from killing Seymour, "Touch down gently and get away from the plane as fast as you can once you land. The drone won't target you then."</p><p class="">"Damn it…I'm sorry, captain!" Seymour grunted. He didn't like this one bit, but he's in no condition to fight. He'd just get himself killed pointlessly. He disengaged from the fight and flew along the southern coast of the Megalith, trying to make a gentle touchdown in the water.</p><p class="">The drone turned its attention to Wit and fired some pulse lasers at him. Some lasers hit into his plane's engines and damaged it, causing a minor shockwave that knocked Wit into the canopy. He groaned as his pain injuries suffered from being shot down at the Lighthouse started acting up again. His felt a sharp pain in his left arm as he strained to keep his hand on the flight stick, and the pain in his ribs caused him to start breathing heavily.</p><p class="">He had nothing else to lose, anyway. His wingmen were gone, all except Seymour, even as he vowed to protect them. He failed even that. A failure of a pilot like him had nothing else to live for.</p><p class="">"Sol 1, get out of there! Sol 1!" Long Caster shouted. His voice sounded like it came from a faraway place now. Heh, to think that they used to be enemies not a long time before,</p><p class="">He closed his eyes as the drone achieved a lock on him, preparing for the inevitable. In the end, the drone got the better of him, after all. Looks like they really were meant to replace humans.</p><p class="">
  <em class="">MISSILE ALERT. MISSILE ALERT.</em>
</p><p class="">A sound of explosion going off nearby awaken Wit from his trance. He looked back and saw the missiles fired from Valravn exploded harmlessly in the midair. Shortly after, a familiar voice spoke into his cockpit radio.</p><p class="">"You're not dying on me, Captain."</p><p class="">It was Juno.</p><p class="">"Sol 4 reappeared on the radar!" Long Caster said excitedly, "We were worried for you a while back there!"</p><p class="">"Plane's knocked away from the shockwave from the <em class="">Helios</em> blast earlier, but I'm alright now," Juno replied, "<em class="">Admiral Andersen</em> is still floating as well, but it suffered some major damage."</p><p class="">"We're still in the fight, pilots!" The voice of Captain Clarkson spoke, "Our CIWS are still operational. We'll keep those missiles off your backs. Just make sure that thing doesn't kill us with its lasers!"</p><p class="">"Roger that, Captain," Sky Eye replied, "All planes, converge over <em class="">Admiral Andersen</em> and get within its CIWS operational range. Let them shoot down the drone's missiles for you. In the meantime, protect the ship from the drone's laser."</p><p class="">"What about <em class="">Helios</em> missiles?" Fencer asked, "Are we sure it doesn't have any more of those things?"</p><p class="">"That was the last of 'em, Fencer," Long Caster said, "The schematics we got from Sea Goblin told us that the drone only had one <em class="">Helios</em> missile that it already fired. No need to worry about that now."</p><p class="">"This is Sol 2. I've touched down in the water," Seymour's distorted voice spoke through.</p><p class="">"Seymour, are you alright!?" Wit immediately asked.</p><p class="">"I'm fine, captain! Don't worry 'bout me!" Seymour replied, "I'm gettin' out of this plane now and make my way to the shore. Just keep the others safe!"</p><p class="">"…Copy that, Sol 2. Be safe." Wit replied before he let out a small sigh in relief.</p><p class="">"Alright, let's do this, people," Mobius 1 commanded, "Protect <em class="">Admiral Andersen</em> at all costs*!*"</p><p class="">The four surviving pilots: Mobius 1, Fencer, Wit, and Juno took their positions over <em class="">Admiral Andersen</em> inside its CIWS coverage. The Valravn gave chase in hot pursuit, determined to finish off the rest of its opponents, but the odds weren't all in its favor just yet.</p><p class="">The pilots weren't working alone now. This time, the ground forces have their backs as well.</p><p class="">----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="">Gregor and Aldrich observed the situation through the live video feed. Aldrich frowned as he saw the missiles fired from the Valravn got shot down by the enemy carrier's CIWS again and again, while the enemy pilots kept the drone busy so that it could not target the carrier with its laser. The pilots and the ground forces proved to be surprisingly effective working as a team. The situation turned into a stalemate once again.</p><p class="">"You do realize that this is just prolonging the inevitable, right, captain?" Aldrich asked, "The RAVEN drone has no limits. No wear and tear. Eventually, your forces will make a mistake, one that the drone won't hesitate to exploit. It will attack your pilots until they're back into a corner, just as your men are."</p><p class="">Aldrich gestured toward the corridor entrance. Gregor followed his gaze and saw Altman and the rest of the Bravo Team being rounded up and marched through the corridor by a large group of Erusean soldiers. They were routed and there was nowhere to go but here.</p><p class="">"Sarge! Are you alright?" Brandt immediately asked as he moved in to support Altman, who was injured in the fighting and was apparently limping all the way up here.</p><p class="">"As usual, corporal," Altman mustered the strength to reply. Though he didn't seem to have any major injury, it seemed to Gregor that his pride was dealt quite a nasty blow, "How's the captain?"</p><p class="">"He's fine, sir," Brandt replied. He hesitated a bit before telling him the bad news, "We…we lost Hendricks."</p><p class="">Altman didn't reply right away. He grunted heavily as he punched a nearby wall.</p><p class="">"Keep moving, buddy. I didn't order you to stop!" An Erusean soldier nearby pushed him in the back. Altman could only give the soldier a death glare in respond.</p><p class="">"This all could've been so much easier for everyone if you had just surrendered peacefully, captain," Aldrich said as he walked over and press a button on the console, "I wouldn't want to be in the shoes of your Sea Goblin friends right now."</p><p class="">Another screen turned on in front of them, showing a real-time CCTV feed from a lower floor. Gregor could recognize the soldiers in the video as the Sea Goblin Team.</p><p class="">"Poor Sea Goblin Team really became a shell of its former self," Aldrich shook his head in disapproval, "First, they messed up at the Lighthouse and got half of their members killed, and now they fell for one of the oldest tricks in the book from one of my most trusted men. They really should've known better by now."</p><p class="">"Brandt, contact Sea Goblin Team!" Gregor immediately ordered, "Tell them it's a trap!"</p><p class="">Unfortunately, Brandt would not even have the time to reach his radio before an Erusean soldier put a gun to his face, preventing him from doing anything.</p><p class="">"Come now, captain, you should never interrupt someone when they're making a mistake," Aldrich said coldly, "It's the best way to learn from experience, <em class="">if</em> they live through it, of course."</p><p class="">"I should've killed you where you stand!" Gregor snapped.</p><p class="">"You can't, and you won't," Aldrich replied, "Just accept that you lost already, captain! And maybe I'll call my major and tell him to leave your men alone!"</p><p class="">"Never," Gregor said defiantly, "No matter what plans you cooked up, we'll find a way to get around them somehow. We always do. You will never win, general. <em class="">Accept it.</em>"</p><p class="">For a big while, Gregor and Aldrich just glare at each other with hatred in their eyes. They had to restrain themselves from physically assault each other, not with all those people in the rooms itching for an excuse to fire the first shot.</p><p class="">"So be it, captain," Aldrich finally spoke, "From this point forward, I am not responsible for any of these deaths. They chose their fates, and now they must d-"</p><p class="">
  <em class="">
    <strong class="">BOOM!</strong>
  </em>
</p><p class="">A sound of explosion went off in the corridor behind all of them.</p><p class="">The Erusean soldiers overseeing the Bravo Team POWs turned back to see just what was going on, but they were immediately mowed down one by one with accurate gunfire bursts.</p><p class="">"NOW!" Gregor yelled to his surviving soldiers to take advantage of the situation. He knocked out a nearby soldier with his pistol before turning to shoot the other two holding Brandt and Altman hostages. They both grabbed their own weapons and began firing on the surrounding enemies before they even realize what was going on.</p><p class="">By the time the firefight died down, dozens of Erusean soldiers laid dead at their feet. Bravo Team suffered some casualties, but otherwise remained standing in the room.</p><p class="">As the smoke cleared, three unknown soldiers walked through with thermal glasses hanging around their heads.</p><p class="">"Heh, told you we can take 'em. Those guys are jokes!" The lead soldier spoke before he took off his mask.</p><p class="">"Well, you <em class="">did</em> have the jump on them," Another soldier said, "Anyone could've taken those jokers on if they don't see you coming."</p><p class="">"Tony, Lanza, you guys are idiots," The third soldier – the only woman in the group – added, before turning to address the Bravo group, "Specialist Elizabeth Davenport, Basilisk Team. We were ordered by our squad leader to assist you, captain. Heard you guys were in trouble."</p><p class="">"Help very much appreciated, ma'am!" Brandt replied enthusiatically as he attempted to bandage Altman's wounds.</p><p class="">"Thank you for the assist, specialist," Gregor added, "We almost didn't make it back there. You guys saved our hides."</p><p class="">"So, who's the asshole behind all this mess?" Tony asked.</p><p class="">Gregor pointed to the unconscious body of General Aldrich laying pathetically on the floor behind him.</p><p class="">"He was irritating us endlessly with his bullshit, yet we can't kill him," Gregor explained, "So I knocked that bastard out earlier."</p><p class="">"I like the way you think, captain," Tony smiled.</p><p class="">"Wait, captain, you still need to warn Sea Goblin!" Brandt reminded, "They're walking into the general's trap!"</p><p class="">"Oh, I think they're gonna be fine, kiddo," Tony said with a big grin on his face, "The Eruseans aren't the only ones with surprises in there."</p><p class="">----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="">"FREEZE!"</p><p class="">Free Erusea soldiers peaked out of covers with their weapons pointing at the major as he walked into the Project Icarus hangar. The Sea Goblin Team were taking cover behind some low metal walls at the entrance, with Brad and Wade aiming their rifles at the major's head from behind in case he tried anything.</p><p class="">"Attention, soldiers! The battle is now over," The major announced, "General Aldrich has been captured by enemy forces. The fortress has fallen. Stand down."</p><p class="">"We don't take orders from you, major! Only the general can tell us what to do!" A young Free Erusea lieutenant shouted back, "Our orders are to defend this hangar against all threats, and that will include you if you're collaborating with the enemy!"</p><p class="">"I figured you'd say that." The major said as his face formed a small, resigned smile.</p><p class="">"Something isn't right, boss…" Lucas whispered.</p><p class="">"Stay calm. Just stick to the plan." Jason replied calmly as he kept his eyes on the scene in front of him, his weapon trained on the major. Though he can't deny that this crazy plan they all cooked up was very dangerous, and it could've gotten all of them killed.</p><p class="">The major turned back toward the entrance as he looked back at the Sea Goblin Team. He gave an audible sigh.</p><p class="">"Looks like they won't cooperate, lieutenant," He began, "I guess I'm not a good bargaining chip, after all. Your plan's not working."</p><p class="">Jason kept a close eye on the major's expression. He formed a small smile on his face.</p><p class="">Suddenly, Jason heard a click sound going off just beside his head.</p><p class="">"Got you, Osean bastards!"</p><p class="">A squad of Free Erusea soldiers appeared out of nowhere with weapons trained on the Sea Goblin members. They were betrayed.</p><p class="">"The only way this pointless battle will end is that we cooperate," The major shouted, "So I suggest <em class="">you</em> cooperate with us, lieutenant!"</p><p class="">"Damn that two-faced fucker!" Lucas wailed as one of the Erusean soldiers yanked his weapon away from him, "We've been played!"</p><p class="">The Free Erusea soldiers marched the Sea Goblin Team straight into the hangar. They were completely surrounded. There was no way they could win.</p><p class="">Jason walked straight to the major with murder in his eyes, but two Erusean soldiers restrained him from doing so. The major responded by grinning smugly at him.</p><p class="">"Did you actually buy that sob story I told you, lieutenant?" The major spoke, "Heh. No wonder why your friends got themselves killed at the Lighthouse. You people are so hopelessly incompetent!"</p><p class="">"Yes, I was stupid to have trusted you," Jason growled, "But that's what we should expect from Eruseans, right? Nothing but lyin' backstabbers who do nothing but picking fights with others like some low-life thugs. Even Belkans have more honor than you do!"</p><p class="">"Your feeble insults won't work on me, soldier," The major replied dismissively as he walked over to a console on a launch platform.</p><p class="">"I should thank you, by the way, for escorting me all the way here," The major continued, "Now I can send those things up there to supply Project Icarus with a new set of Weapon UAVs. And if your pilots shoot them down again, I can just send more of them back up there. I couldn't have done this if you hadn't spared my life earlier, you know?"</p><p class="">"Fuck you!" Lucas yelled.</p><p class="">"Jesus, Lucas, stand down! We've already lost!" Wade spoke, "No point getting yourself killed!"</p><p class="">The Sea Goblin members could only stand there in silence as the major inputted commands into the console, preparing the UAVs to fly out.</p><p class="">"It's done now," He eventually announced, before turning back toward the Sea Goblin Team, "I guess you have no use to us anymore, lieutenant."</p><p class="">The major gave a little nod, though it wasn't directed at his soldiers.</p><p class="">"NOW!"</p><p class="">Jason shouted. The Sea Goblin Team immediately dropped to the ground as all hell broke loose. Smoke grenades were deployed all over the hangar before the Free Erusea soldiers even realize what was going on, followed by hails of bullets flying everywhere. The major took cover behind some boxes as he watched his soldiers go down one-by-one from the surprise attack. Any soldier who was still conscious as they fell to the floor got knocked out by the Sea Goblin Team members already laid down nearby.</p><p class="">By the time the smokes cleared, all the Free Erusea soldiers were all down for the count, all except the major. A new group of soldiers appeared from the smokes wearing thermal goggles on their heads.</p><p class="">"Goddamn, you people are nuts!" Marcus said, "And I thought the operation at Cape Rainy was crazy!"</p><p class="">"Hey, it worked, didn't it? We did way crazier shits back in the day," Jason replied as he picked himself up from the floor. Somehow, his mind randomly thought back to when they faked the Razgriz pilots' 'deaths' back during the Circum-Pacific War.</p><p class="">"Nice to see you again, Marcus." He greeted the Basilisk Team Leader, "Great timing as always, buddy."</p><p class="">"Everyone, this is the prestigious Sea Goblin Team," Marcus introduced as he took off his thermal goggles, grinning all the while, "I told ya someone has to keep those boy scouts from getting their asses kicked again!"</p><p class="">"Could someone tell us what the hell's going on!?" Oscar asked, bewildered.</p><p class="">"Good ol' Trojan Horse plan, sergeant," Marcus explained, "The same trick the Eruseans pulled on us earlier into the war with the cargo ships carrying UAV containers. The Sea Goblin collaborated with this good major here and got themselves 'captured' so those soldiers would let their guards down and reveal their positions, and they're easy pickings for us."</p><p class="">"Your plan could've gotten all of us killed, lieutenant." The Erusean major spoke as he joined the group, his eyes observing the unconscious bodies of his soldiers lying on the ground.</p><p class="">"At least I should be thankful that your men only aimed at non-lethal areas. Despite the things they did, those people are still my men. I don't want to get them killed if possible."</p><p class="">"Like the good sarge said: we're soldiers, not murderers," Wade said as he bandaged up the wounded soldiers on the ground, "We're trying to stop conflicts, not starting one up."</p><p class="">"So, what do we do now, boss?" Brad asked, "We still have that nuke drone up there to take care of, and we can't remotely hack it from here."</p><p class="">"That would be rectified shortly," The major said, "I uploaded Private Wade's computer virus to these Weapon UAVs earlier. After I launch them out and they dock themselves to Project Icarus, the virus will be uploaded into it and disable the nuke detonation system temporarily, allowing your pilots some time to shoot that thing down."</p><p class="">"I suppose that's all we can do," Oscar added, "Let's hope our pilots are good enough."</p><p class="">"They are, sergeant. I am sure of it," The major grinned as he pressed the launch button on the console, "The general and I know better than anyone how good those pilots are."</p><p class="">"I, for one, agreed with you, major," Jason added. His experience with the Razgriz pilots told him all he needs to know: nothing can beat a motivated and experienced ace pilot in battle. <em class="">Nothing.</em></p><p class="">The shutters at the end of the hangar slowly opened up. The catapults then launched the two Weapon UAVs into the air, the two virus-carrying drones would join Valravn in the air and upload its virus.</p><p class="">Only then would the final phase of the battle started.</p><p class="">----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="">"This is Mobius 2, the drone has a lock on me!" Fencer spoke, "<em class="">Andersen</em>, it's on you!"</p><p class="">"Copy that, Mobius 2. Our CIWS are tracking you." A CIWS Gunnery Officer replied, "Just fly straight toward us after that thing fired at you!"</p><p class="">Fencer did as told as the Valravn fired a pair of missiles at him. He flew down low and fly straight pass <em class="">Admiral Andersen</em> from the east, allowing the CIWS on the deck to shoot down the missiles following him.</p><p class="">"Yes! Flawless teamwork, <em class="">Andersen</em>!" Fencer cheered.</p><p class="">"This is Mobius 1, I'm pursuing the target," Mobius 1 spoke. He got into position behind the Valravn and keep the pressure on it. The drone pulled some nasty quick turns to evade him, but he would find a way to get back behind it. Until the ground forces can get their job done, he'd just be playing cat and mouse with it.</p><p class="">"This is Sky Eye, be advised: Sea Goblin and Basilisk Team have secured Project Icarus hangar inside Megalith," Sky Eye began, "They sent out two virus-borne Weapon UAVs to link up with the Valravn. This should disable the nuke detonation temporarily and allow you guys to shoot it down without triggering the nuke."</p><p class="">"Final-freaking-ly!" Fencer exclaimed, "I'm tired of being chased around by this thing!"</p><p class="">"This is Sol 1, I saw the Weapon UAVs flying out right now," Wit confirmed, "They're heading straight toward the Valravn."</p><p class="">"Just as planned," Juno added, "The Valravn is flying toward them as well. The mother bird's comin' to pick up its babies."</p><p class="">True to Juno's words, the Valravn disengaged from Mobius 1 and flew after the Weapon UAVs. Mobius 1 flew after it to keep closes, preparing to open fire as soon as the virus did its works.</p><p class="">But things didn't go quite as he expected.</p><p class="">"Holy hell! The Valravn is opening fire on the UAVs!" Fencer spoke in horror.</p><p class="">The Valravn fired its TLS laser at one of the Weapon UAVs, most likely detecting that there was something wrong with its 'babies'. One of the UAVs got shot down almost instantly, while the other UAV pulled evasive maneuvers and barely avoided being destroyed.</p><p class="">"It's not taking the bait!" Wit grunted.</p><p class="">"We need to protect the last UAV!" Juno said as she sped toward the other UAV to provide cover to it, "Must keep it safe until it could dock itself on the Valravn!"</p><p class="">"Sol 4, get back!" Wit yelled, "That's an order, Juno!"</p><p class="">"Negative, Sol 1. I'm the closest. There's no time!" Juno replied back, "I can do this, captain!"</p><p class="">"Goddamnit!" Wit grunted. He wanted to go after Juno, but his plane's damaged engines mean he could not get to his wingman in time.</p><p class="">"Mobius 1, Mobius 2, assist Sol 4!" Long Caster ordered, "Don't let anything happen to her or the UAV!"</p><p class="">"Mobius 2, roger!"</p><p class="">Mobius 1 and Fencer flew after Juno as she engaged the Valravn in battle. She fired some MG bursts at the drone to distract it. The ploy worked, and the drone went after her instead.</p><p class="">"This is it, Juno," Juno whispered to herself to keep calm, "This is the real thing. Focus."</p><p class="">The Valravn went after Juno with pulse lasers blazing. She gave it as good as she got: loops after loops, twists and turns, moves that she never thought she was capable of doing in her very first combat sortie.</p><p class="">"Damn, that girl's good." Fencer complimented. He tried to get into position behind the Valravn but he just couldn't keep up with it, "How the hell did she keep up with that beast!?"</p><p class="">But Mobius 1 saw through what Fencer didn't, something that Wit also saw as well. Juno was struggling. She may have kept up with the drone so far, but it was wearing her down quickly. She can't keep this up forever.</p><p class="">The remaining Weapon UAV, now free to fly without the Valravn shooting at it, flew after it to dock under one of its wings. The UAV's extreme speed and capability allowed for it to keep up with the Valravn.</p><p class="">"The Weapon UAV is approaching Valravn. It'll dock soon," Long Caster said, "Just keep it busy for a few more seconds, Juno!"</p><p class="">"I'm…trying!" Juno exclaimed, her voice sounded very strained. It was clear that it took all of her efforts to keep her plane in the air.</p><p class="">Mobius 1 observed Juno's flying. Suddenly, everything was clicking into places. That weird familiar feeling that he had earlier, it all made sense now.</p><p class="">It was just like that day fifteen years ago, during the Stonehenge battle.</p><p class="">"<em class="">Five bandits coming in at Mach 2."</em></p><p class="">"<em class="">Not to worry, our aces are faster than they are!"</em></p><p class="">"<em class="">Eject, Yellow 4."</em></p><p class="">"<em class="">Yellow 13 here. Did anyone see Four get out?"</em></p><p class="">"<em class="">That's a confirmed kill on a Yellow!"</em></p><p class="">It was like an intense déjà vu episode hit Mobius 1 out of nowhere. He was literally seeing the same scene played out in front of him as back then, except he's not the one pursuing an enemy pilot this time.</p><p class="">
  <em class="">The Valravn was flying like him, and Juno was flying just like Yellow 4 did back then.</em>
</p><p class="">
  <em class="">It was hunting her down.</em>
</p><p class="">"The Weapon UAV has successfully docked on Valravn!" Sky Eye confirmed, "Sol 4, disengage now!"</p><p class="">"I…I can't!" Juno's panicked voice came through the radio, "I can't shake this thing!"</p><p class="">The Valravn was pursuing Juno ruthlessly. It fired some pulse laser bursts at her, and this time some of the shots landed on her left wing. It was trailing smoke but she still remained flying, though it was obvious that the Juno won't last long.</p><p class="">"I'm hit! I'm hit!" Juno cried out, "Anyone, support!"</p><p class="">"Juno, get out of there!" Long Caster shouted, "The drone has a lock on you!"</p><p class="">"Mobius Squadron, save her!" Wit pleaded, his voice was desperate. There was nothing he could do with his engines damaged, "Don't let her die!"</p><p class="">Mobius 1 blasted his plane after her, going as fast as he could. It was like his body was acting on his own – on instincts – as if something was controlling him to do this before he could even comprehend just what the hell he's doing. He just felt like that this was something that he must do.</p><p class="">He was not going to let history repeat itself. Not this time.</p><p class="">"HELP!" Juno screamed. The Valravn had already launched its missiles. She closed her eyes as she prepared for the inevitable.</p><p class="">
  <em class="">
    <strong class="">BOOM!</strong>
  </em>
</p><p class="">Juno's mind went blank. For a while, she wasn't even sure if she was alive or dead. Everything around her was in a blur, and she couldn't hear anything.</p><p class="">"…Juno!...Sol 4…!..."</p><p class="">"Mobius 1…missile…"</p><p class="">"No!"</p><p class="">"Sol 4! Sol 4! Do you read! Juno, answer me!"</p><p class="">After a few seconds, she regained her composure. She didn't take in everything around her yet, but she knew for sure that she's still alive. She could still sense the crampy cockpit around her, the G-force that hit her body, and the intense heat radiated from her sweaty body.</p><p class="">"Sol 4, this is Mobius 2! I've got you!" Fencer's voice shook her out of her trance, "That was a goddamn close one, lady."</p><p class="">"What…what happened?" Juno asked weakly.</p><p class="">There was a brief silence.</p><p class="">"Mobius…Mobius 1 was hit," Sky Eye spoke slowly, his voice stammered, "Mobius 1 hit by enemy missile…"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Endgame</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="">"Mobius 1! Mobius 1, come in!"</p><p class="">Sky Eye's frantic voice sounded like it came from a faraway place. Mobius 1 blinked as he inspected the flight instruments. Alarm sounds were wailing all over the cockpit, and there were smokes everywhere. He gripped his hands on the flight stick, barely trying to control the plane from spinning out. His plane took a nasty hit, alright.</p><p class="">He should be lucky that he's still flying at all. The missile poised to destroy Sol 4's plane ended up hitting him instead when he flew into its path. The underbelly of the plane absorbed most of the explosion, but it was still a direct hit. The shockwave sent him spinning for a few seconds before he managed to level.</p><p class="">"Mobius 1, we need you!" Fencer pleaded over the radio, "We can't shoot this thing down on our own!"</p><p class="">"Goddamn it, I can't get a lock on it. It's too fast!" Wit grunted, "Juno, get as far away as you can! Mobius 1, support us!"</p><p class="">"Mobius 1, the virus is uploaded now. You can shoot it down!" Long Caster reported, "Your allies need you!"</p><p class="">"Mobius 1, report your status!" Sky Eye spoke again, "Come on, buddy! Don't give up!"</p><p class="">All those voices. All those pleas. And yet here he was, a mess of a pilot in a broken plane.</p><p class="">Why do people expect so much out of him? Why do they always think that he's capable of doing anything?</p><p class="">Why must he continue to fight those battles if nothing's ever gonna change?</p><p class="">One enemy he shot down, two more pops up. One opponent he defeated, others rush to replace them.</p><p class="">He's tired. So goddamn tired.</p><p class="">
  <em class="">So that's it, then? You're just gonna give up? This is very unlike you, Ribbon.</em>
</p><p class="">That voice. Mobius 1 couldn't believe what he just heard for a second. Maybe all that smoke was doing something to his mind, but he could've sworn that he knew that voice.</p><p class="">
  <em class="">Come on, Ribbon. I could've shot you down twice already if I was flying that thing.</em>
</p><p class="">"...Thirteen?" Mobius 1 mumbled weakly, "…is that you?"</p><p class="">He could've sworn he didn't imagine it.</p><p class="">
  <em class="">Just do what you always do, buddy. You can win this.</em>
</p><p class="">"Mobius 1, behind you!" Wit shouted, "Break, break!"</p><p class="">Missile alerts blared up inside his cockpit again.</p><p class="">Suddenly, the entire world seemed to slow down for Mobius 1. His vision went into blurs. He dived his plan downward at a speed which would've blacked out any other pilot, pulling a quick Split-S to evade the Valravn's missiles.</p><p class="">The Valravn fired its laser, anticipating that Mobius 1 would do just that, but he saw it coming. After all, it <em class="">did</em> learn from him.</p><p class="">He swerved right just before a red laser of death blasted through the position where his plane would've been at the last second.</p><p class="">The Valravn flew past him at high speed just as he expected. Already in the middle of a turn, it was not hard for Mobius 1 to get behind it.</p><p class="">Mobius 1 kept at the Valravn's back while simultaneously checking his plane's status: his plane was heavily damaged, but he's not out of the fight just yet. His engines were slowing down, but enough to still keep him in the air – the PSMs were out of the question, however, but it's not like he needed to pull it off. His rudder also malfunctioned, so he couldn't yaw well. He'd have to make do with that. His ammo reserve was almost gone. He had five Sidewinders left, and four remaining XMAA missiles – enough for one more salvo.</p><p class=""><em class="">It has to be enough.</em> He thought. <em class="">I can still do this.</em></p><p class="">"Mobius 1, be advised. Valravn is removing the virus deactivating its nuclear detonation system. You have one minute to shoot it down before it detonates the warhead," Long Caster warned, "Destroy the target ASAP!"</p><p class=""><em class="">One minute. More than enough time.</em> Mobius 1 thought. The Valravn was already softened up earlier into the dogfight. Just one good missile hit should finish the job.</p><p class="">The Valravn tried its best to shake away from him, but Mobius 1 wouldn't let it out of his sight. Despite its extreme agility and its flight data, the drone's flying was still predictable. Whenever the Valravn pulled a supermaneuver, Mobius 1 would always anticipate it and managed to stay on its tail. The damaged plane actually proved to be a surprising advantage: while the drone can go fast, he can go slow, <em class="">real</em> slow. That way, he would always have the Valravn in his sights no matter where it goes, and he could anticipate when it's about to attack and pull evasive maneuvers accordingly.</p><p class="">"Fifty seconds!" Sky Eye warned.</p><p class="">For a drone like Valravn, its superior flying skills made it deadly toward weaker opponents, but for a pilot who could match it move-to-move, the pilot that it needed to <em class="">learn</em> from, the pilot who could predict any move it could possibly make, those skills were useless. Ace pilots are deadly because they can get <em class="">creative</em>, and that's not something any AI could match easily.</p><p class="">That's how the pilot with the Three Strikes did it at the Lighthouse, and that's why <em class="">he</em> can do it, too.</p><p class="">"I have a lock," Mobius 1 said, "Fox two!"</p><p class="">Mobius 1 launched a missile. The drone dodged it by pulling a sharp turn left, which he anticipated.</p><p class="">"Now, Sol Squadron!" He ordered.</p><p class="">"Sol 1, fox two!" Wit confirmed.</p><p class="">"Sol 4, fox two!" Juno shouted.</p><p class="">Four missiles fired from Wit and Juno's planes tracked the Valravn. It managed to evade them all, but that drove it to fly toward him face-to-face at close range – close enough to hurt.</p><p class=""><em class="">That's how Yellow Squadron did it</em>. Mobius 1 thought, <em class="">Using the superior number to overwhelm a lone enemy, forcing it into an unavoidable fight.</em></p><p class="">If that thing actually learned from him, then it should know how to get out of this predicament.</p><p class="">"Mobius 1, fox three!"</p><p class="">The last set of four XMAAs left Mobius 1's missile bay, flying straight at the target. The Valravn evaded the missiles through dodging and flares, but it still stayed on the same course. It sacrificed its chance of a quick getaway to get close to its opponent head-on. A human pilot would've known better. High speed head-on 'jousts' only worked if you're fast enough to react to oncoming attacks and evade them at superhuman speed. As far as he knows, fewer than a dozen pilots in history had ever achieved that, and he was sure that Valravn was not among them.</p><p class=""><em class="">Gotcha.</em> Mobius 1 thought. The thing fell head-first into his trap.</p><p class="">"Fox two!"</p><p class="">Mobius 1 fired another missile, along with some MG bursts at the drone flying at him head-on. The distance between the two was so close, it had no chance to evade them this time.</p><p class="">The Valravn fired a pair of missiles. Mobius 1 evaded by pulling a barrel roll at the precise moment the missiles were about to hit, and they both flew past him harmlessly. The Valravn was not so lucky. Mobius 1's missile hit straight into the laser chamber, and the thing exploded. His MG bursts also hit directly into its 'cockpit' as well, causing further damage. The drone's body was now enflamed and trailing smoke.</p><p class="">"Direct hit on the Valravn! It's hurting bad!" Long Caster said excitedly, "Stay alert. It's not over yet!"</p><p class="">True to his warning, the Valravn's 'cockpit' detached itself from its main body, letting it plunging into the sea below along with the nuclear warhead. The drone unfolded its forward-swept wings and revealed its barest form – one last desperate move of an AI that had nothing to lose.</p><p class=""><em class="">Good, no risk accidentally shooting the warhead by mistake now.</em> Mobius 1 thought, <em class="">No more shield protecting this thing.</em></p><p class="">"The drone is almost done removing the virus!" Sky Eye said, "Thirty seconds!"</p><p class="">"Remote detonation is still possible," Long Caster added, "We need to completely destroy it."</p><p class="">"Don't give up!" Fencer shouted over the radio, "Don't let it win!"</p><p class="">Mobius 1 flew upward, his eyes scanned the sky for the enemy drone. The blasted thing was way faster and more mobile than he thought after it ditched its wings. He had only three missiles left. Got to make every shot count.</p><p class="">
  <em class="">Focus. You can do this.</em>
</p><p class="">Mobius 1 took a deep breath to clear his head. It didn't take him long to notice the Valravn soon after. Its jet-black body would've been its advantage had the skies were dark and cloudy, but not this night, not when the moon was shining brightly. The moonlight reflected on the drone's jet-black body and gave away its position easily.</p><p class="">Mobius 1 immediately blasted off after it, but his engine damages prevented him from getting close.</p><p class="">"This is Mobius 2. I'll drive it toward you!" Fencer shouted. His plane was the only one left that had perfect engines. He sped off towards the drone, which then pulled several insane high-G turns that no human pilot could've kept up with.</p><p class="">And he didn't have to. If the drone learned everything he knew from him, it'd come after him on its own eventually. Mobius 1 had been so used to flying aggressively, and Valravn learned that from him. It'd never expect that he'd be prepared for it when it launched its attacks.</p><p class="">"Twenty seconds!" Sky Eye reported. His voice sounded a lot less calm now.</p><p class="">"Take this, you little shit!" Fencer yelled, "Mobius 2, fox two!"</p><p class="">Two missiles from Fencer's plane launched straight toward the Valravn. It fired hails of pulse lasers at both missiles, destroying them both in mid-air. However, this also forced it on a collision course with Fencer's plane. It dodged by going downward toward the sea, where Mobius 1 was waiting.</p><p class="">Mobius 1 locked on the target. It had nowhere to run now.</p><p class="">"Mobius 1, fox two!"</p><p class="">He fired two more missiles at the now defenseless drone. It was a sitting duck. There's no way the missiles could have missed.</p><p class="">Except…</p><p class="">"One missile trashed!" Sky Eye shouted out in a panic.</p><p class="">For some inexplicable reason, the tracking system of one sidewinder failed to work as it should, and it swayed from its original flight path before plunging into the sea uselessly. The other missile managed to hit the drone, but it wasn't enough to bring it down.</p><p class="">For the second time that night, Mobius 1 didn't know what to do.</p><p class=""><em class="">Damn!</em> Mobius 1 cursed under his breath as he checked the flight instruments again. The guidance system for the dud missile was damaged from the earlier blast – Valravn's missile hit him directly in the missile bay of his plane, and that one missile malfunctioned as a result.</p><p class="">The Valravn was heavily damaged, but it still remained flying. It deviated from the flight path and made a turn south, but Mobius 1 could not keep up with it fast enough.</p><p class="">"Ten seconds!" Sky Eye cried out.</p><p class="">Mobius 1 felt his heart skipped a few beats as he struggled to find a way to shoot the drone down. The drone was flying south, determined to escape its opponents until it could finish removing the virus and detonate its nuke.</p><p class="">The only thing that stood in its path was <em class="">Admiral Andersen.</em></p><p class="">"FIRE EVERYTHING!" Captain Clarkson yelled.</p><p class="">Hails of bullets lit up the sky as barrages of CIWS fired from <em class="">Admiral Andersen</em> stormed the Valravn. The drone swerved hard to the right to avoid the hails of bullets, but <em class="">Andersen</em> was relentless. The Valravn fired some laser bursts back and managed to hit some of the CIWS on the deck, but the intense bullet spray eventually drove the Valravn to turn back around – back to Mobius 1.</p><p class="">Mobius 1 grinned. He couldn't believe his luck. The Valravn and he were confronting each other head-on once again, and it didn't try to evade. It actually wanted to joust with him again, and he'd gladly oblige it.</p><p class="">His hands gripped firmly on the control stick, the adrenaline was pumping wildly inside his body as he prepared to launch the last missile. He'd have to get as close to it as he can, otherwise, the missile would be shot down by the laser barrage again.</p><p class="">
  <em class="">Seven</em>
</p><p class="">He needed to hit directly into the 'cockpit'. Just one more shot and the drone would be history. One more shot. One last chance.</p><p class="">
  <em class="">Six</em>
</p><p class="">The world went into a blur again. Mobius 1 didn't see anything else other than the target in front of him. Nothing else mattered.</p><p class="">
  <em class="">Five</em>
</p><p class="">The Valravn began its laser barrage again, but Mobius 1 didn't evade. He still had to get in close enough to shoot at it. He can't take that chance. He'd just have to hope his plane would keep itself together long enough.</p><p class="">
  <em class="">Four</em>
</p><p class="">All the sounds in the world were blaring in his cockpit: the sounds of his plane shaking violently as the laser shots punched holes into it, the warning alarms going off, the shouts and screams of his allies over the radio, even the sound of his own heartbeat. He ignored them all.</p><p class="">
  <em class="">Three</em>
</p><p class="">He had a lock on the Valravn now. The drone was practically dead right in front of him. It stopped firing its lasers now.</p><p class="">He fired the last missile.</p><p class="">
  <em class="">Two</em>
</p><p class="">Mobius 1 felt himself losing control of the plane. He heard sounds of explosions as his plane shook violently, but otherwise, he didn't feel anything else. The missile just seemed to fly on, and on.</p><p class="">
  <em class="">One</em>
</p><p class="">He saw a brief flash of bright, orange light, accompanied by a thundering sound and a violent shockwave that hit into his plane. He flew into that bright light as he felt reality dissipated around him.</p><p class="">
  <em class="">Zero</em>
</p><p class="">----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="">.</p><p class="">.</p><p class="">.</p><p class="">"<em class="">It's highly likely that this will be your final mission."</em></p><p class="">
  <em class="">.</em>
</p><p class="">
  <em class="">.</em>
</p><p class="">
  <em class="">.</em>
</p><p class="">"<em class="">Remember, we need heroes after the war, too. Make it back in one piece."</em></p><p class="">
  <em class="">.</em>
</p><p class="">
  <em class="">.</em>
</p><p class="">
  <em class="">.</em>
</p><p class="">"<em class="">In one hour, each one of you will take part in the most important mission in our history…"</em></p><p class="">
  <em class="">.</em>
</p><p class="">
  <em class="">.</em>
</p><p class="">
  <em class="">.</em>
</p><p class="">"<em class="">Although we are from different nations and of different races, we have fought, suffered, and died together, fighting for what we believe in…"</em></p><p class="">
  <em class="">.</em>
</p><p class="">
  <em class="">.</em>
</p><p class="">
  <em class="">.</em>
</p><p class="">"<em class="">Now, let us take back our shattered skies!"</em></p><p class="">
  <em class="">.</em>
</p><p class="">
  <em class="">.</em>
</p><p class="">
  <em class="">.</em>
</p><p class="">----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="">"This is Bravo 1. Sky Eye, is Mobius 1 alright?"</p><p class="">Gregor asked through the radio nervously, his eyes kept staring on the live video screen in front of him. Due to the darkened skies, the distorted quality of the video feed, and the fact that the air battle was taking place far away from the Megalith, he could not make out what was happening outside – except for one bright orange explosion going off in the distance. The last he saw of Mobius 1 was when he caught a glimpse of his plane's silhouette flying into the explosion.</p><p class="">That same dreaded feeling he once had when Mobius 1 was flying into the Megalith to destroy the last ICBM missile returned once again. He only saw the orange explosions through a glimpse of video feed as well back then.</p><p class="">He didn't even care that he and his men were all still alive – didn't even realize that the fact they're still standing right now meant Mobius 1 succeeded in destroying the Valravn and disable the nuke at last. All he cared about was whether the heroic pilot who saved them all made it out alive or not. Nothing else mattered.</p><p class="">
  <em class="">Goddamn it, Mobius 1, Sky Eye. Just give me something, anything!</em>
</p><p class="">After what felt like an eternity, Sky Eye finally responded:</p><p class="">"<em class="">Yes, he's fine! I've got visual on him right now!"</em></p><p class="">That was what Gregor had been expected to hear,</p><p class="">But…</p><p class="">"He…he crashed into the sea," Sky Eye's horrified voice slowly spoke through the radio, "Mobius 1 was shot down…"</p><p class="">Gregor felt his knees weakened. He couldn't believe what Sky Eye was telling him. He refused to.</p><p class="">"No, that's impossible," Gregor spoke softly, his eyes stared blankly at the video screen in disbelief, "That couldn't be possible, Sky Eye!"</p><p class="">"It's true," Long Caster confirmed. His voice sounded dejected as well, "Mobius 1 doesn't show up on our radar. We saw his plane in the water. He's…he's gone."</p><p class="">"Goddamn it!" Altman slammed his fists into a console in anger, "Goddamn it all…"</p><p class="">Other members of Bravo Team didn't take the news well as well. Some of them openly sobbed as they learned the heroic pilot that they had been fighting together for so long was…was not with them anymore.</p><p class="">There was only one man in the room who was smiling.</p><p class="">"And so, like Icarus, the Blue Ribbon flew right into the sun, and he paid the price." General Aldrich spoke softly. He had already awakened from getting knocked out by Gregor earlier, just in time to see Mobius 1's plane flew into the fireball on the video screen.</p><p class="">"You…" Gregor's voice boiled with anger. He slowly approached General Aldrich, grabbed him by the collar and slam his body into the wall, his other hand shoving a pistol in Aldrich's forehead – with his finger on the trigger.</p><p class="">"Don't you dare…after what you've pulled…don't you fucking dare…"</p><p class="">Aldrich still showed no sign of fear on his face. Instead, his expression seemed resigned.</p><p class="">"Go ahead, shoot me, captain. Project Icarus was no more. Killing me won't detonate the nuke now. I have no more leverage over you. I've already lost."</p><p class="">As much as Gregor wanted to pull the trigger, he resisted. Killing the general wouldn't have changed anything, and it'd make him no better than his enemy. Plus, he wasn't sure if the general was lying about the nuke. He couldn't risk killing him no matter how much he wanted to.</p><p class="">"No…" Gregor slowly put his gun away, "You're going on trial for your crimes, general, and I'll see to it that you will answer for <em class="">every, single, one of them.</em>"</p><p class="">Aldrich chuckled, "I was already dead for fifteen years, captain. Whatever awaits me in the future would be nothing compared to what I went through."</p><p class="">"And just <em class="">what the hell</em> did you go through!?" Brandt shouted with tears in his eyes, "Just what the hell do you use to justify everything you did!?</p><p class="">Aldrich closed his eyes, signing deeply, "Do you ever feel tired, soldiers? Fighting those same battles, again and again, achieving nothing but getting people killed pointlessly? How many families are broken because of those conflicts? My son, Gene, was killed here. Over this very fortress. Fifteen years ago. He died fighting for a senseless cause that didn't achieve anything, and I couldn't even do a fucking thing to help him – or any of his misguided friends."</p><p class="">He paused for a moment to regain his composure.</p><p class="">"How many parents must bury their children before we can learn to get our acts together? Probably never, by the look of things. In the end, I just wanted to <em class="">end those wars,</em> captain. All those weapons of wars, all those superweapons, all those ace pilots. They all needed to go. Project Icarus could've achieved that, but thanks to you, it would probably never happen. Perhaps it's in our nature to destroy ourselves, after all, to fly straight into the sun. Heh, what a disappointment humanity is…"</p><p class="">"Enough with that bullshit already!" Liz yelled, "You speak as if you're the only one who suffered in these conflicts! Well, guess what? My brother <em class="">fucking died</em> too, asshole! He died in a war pointlessly just like your son did, and I mourned him for <em class="">years</em>. But did I went on a murderous crusade to plunge the entire world into chaos? Hell fucking no! I joined the marines to protect others from people like <em class="">you</em>, who would've murdered half the world without a second thought if it gets you what you wanted. Did it ever cross your mind how many people lost someone they cared about tonight because of your actions, you hypocrite!?"</p><p class="">"I admire your conviction, young lady, but it wouldn't have changed anything," Aldrich replied calmly, silently accepting that Liz did has a point, "There will always be people like me. People who wouldn't hesitate to throw thousands of lives into the grinder just to further their agendas. As long as they have the means to do that, then those same conflicts will keep happening again, and again, and again until we wiped ourselves out. I just hoped that my actions could at least do something about that, even if I have to sacrifice half the world for it."</p><p class="">"Do you even listen to yourself?" Gregor retorted, "Your plan would've killed countless people, and you expect the world to just let you do it?! You men did not have to die tonight, general, but your actions forced them to fight! They forced our hand, and we have no choice but to kill them so we can save the world from your madness. None of this would've happened if you had just <em class="">stopped</em>, and that makes you no better than the warmongers you claimed to fight. Why can't you understand that!?"</p><p class="">"What difference would it make, captain? What's done is done," Aldrich sighed in defeat, "We could argue with this all day, but we all have made our choices. It led us to this moment, and nothing can change that now. We all have to live with it, for better or worse. Just do what you will. It's over."</p><p class="">Gregor shot an intense glare at Aldrich, who remained silent. It became clear to him that the man would not speak anything further, and there was no point talking to him anymore.</p><p class="">"Specialist Davenport, you can take the general away now. Just get him out of my sight," Gregor said to Liz, before turning to Brandt, "Brandt, how's the Sea Goblin Team doing?"</p><p class="">"They just took off in a chopper, captain," Brandt reported, "They said they heard about…about Mobius 1, but they're not giving up on him yet. They're going to circle around the crash site and look for him. They have experience rescuing downed pilots from the sea, sir."</p><p class="">"Tell them we'll be there to help, too," Gregor ordered. He couldn't just stand here and do nothing. Mobius 1 was still out there somewhere. <em class="">He had to be.</em> And he's not gonna give up until he can find him, "Let's double back to the chopper, gentlemen. We got a pilot to save."</p><p class="">
  <em class="">Don't let our pilots die!</em>
</p><p class="">That voice spoke loud in Gregor's head again and again like a mantra, and it's the only thing that kept him going right now.</p><p class="">He has never let Mobius 1 down before, and he's sure as hell not gonna let him down now.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Making Amends</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="">"Long time no see, buddy."</p><p class="">Mobius 1 jerked awake as he heard a familiar voice. His eyes scanned around his surroundings. He was still sitting inside his F-22 cockpit, but the sky was bright blue – it was daytime. He looked down and realized that he's no longer flying over the sea – or anywhere close to Megalith, for that matter.</p><p class="">He was back at Farbanti.</p><p class="">
  <em class="">How…how did I get here?</em>
</p><p class="">The last thing he remembered was his severely damaged plane crashing into the sea after shooting down Valravn and the water began pouring inside his cockpit. His body was too numb to move.</p><p class="">"So, how does it feel like to get shot down, Ribbon?" That same voice spoke again.</p><p class="">Suddenly, Ribbon felt an aircraft pulling up from beneath the clouds to his right before taking up position beside his plane: a grey-camo Su-37 with yellow wingtips.</p><p class="">Ribbon observed the pilot: he wasn't wearing his helmet, so his head was fully revealed. He looked like a man in his early thirties, with blonde hair and clear, blue eyes. His appearance matched that of a man in a photo he had seen a long time ago in a series of letters sent to him by someone who knew both of them.</p><p class="">"Yellow Thirteen?"</p><p class="">The pilot laughed, "You know, even I have to admit that it's kinda silly that we used these nicknames and callsigns to call each other instead of, well, our real names. Hey, whatever flies your plane, right? I think the name 'Ribbon' suited you nicely."</p><p class="">"Am…am I dead?" Ribbon asked.</p><p class="">"Well, not really, despite your best efforts," Thirteen replied with a smile, "That was one spectacular crash, though."</p><p class="">"But then how am I here? What <em class="">is</em> here?"</p><p class="">"How should I know?!" Thirteen laughed again, "I don't even know how I'm here, either. But, then again, why should we care about that?"</p><p class="">Ribbon actually managed to let out a chuckle for that one. "At least the view's nice."</p><p class="">"Good. At least you know how to enjoy the little things in life," Thirteen grinned, "Quite a view, isn't it?"</p><p class="">"Yeah…"</p><p class="">Ribbon and Thirteen observed the flooded ruins of Farbanti together. Ribbon could notice some differences in the city's ruined skylines: some of the buildings collapsed down – most likely during the Siege of Farbanti by the Osean forces during the Lighthouse War.</p><p class="">"Huh, they destroyed my favorite skyscraper…" Thirteen said dejectedly, "Damn, I used to go there a lot when I was young - before the Ulysses happened."</p><p class="">He turned to look at Ribbon and shot me a half-accusing, half-amused glare.</p><p class="">"You don't have anything to do with this, do you?"</p><p class="">"Nah, I wasn't involved in the battle this time," Ribbon replied, "It was an Osean pilot – a new hotshot ace who ended the war almost singlehandedly. People called him Three Strikes after the claws symbol he painted on his tailwings. Quite a character, to be honest."</p><p class="">"Reminds me of <em class="">someone</em> I know," Thirteen said, "Heard he managed to shoot down my old instructor, too, right?"</p><p class="">"You mean Mister X? Yeah, I heard he did"</p><p class="">"I wasn't surprised. Good ol' Mihaly couldn't resist a good fight," Thirteen smiled, "I'm amazed anyone is actually able to shoot him down, and it's not even you! That guy earned his 'King of the Sky' reputation for a reason. He taught me everything I knew and more."</p><p class="">"Well, he <em class="">is</em> pretty old for a fighter pilot. He's probably a lot less capable than when he was younger."</p><p class="">"This coming from a man who stubbornly refused to retire again and again? You of all people should know that age couldn't slow people like us down," Thirteen noted, "When flying's in our blood, it can be hard to kick the habit. He would've loved to fight you, Ribbon. A real shame you two never met each other."</p><p class="">Ribbon chuckled. He couldn't decide whether not facing Yellow Thirteen's instructor was actually a good or a bad thing.</p><p class="">"It's a shame the pilot with the Three Strikes would never get to meet you, too," Ribbon replied, "You wouldn't believe just what the hell he's capable of. That guy managed to took on two super AI drones that almost killed me earlier, and he made it look so easy! Damn, I really was getting rusty."</p><p class="">"You did rather well, all things considered," Thirteen reassured, "I mean, taking on an enemy who's basically cheating by not allowing you to fight back while it can attack you freely? An enemy who could adapt to anything you can do, if I might add? You're lucky you even lasted as long as you did. And when you <em class="">could</em> actually attack it, you have less than a minute to destroy the damn thing before it could kill you all. Only a true ace could've achieved that."</p><p class="">"What does it matter? I still got shot down," Ribbon said in a sad voice, "I should've been better than that. It should've been just another mission for me. Why did I mess it up so badly?"</p><p class="">"Jeez, you sound just like Mihaly. He's ever the perfectionist, too," Thirteen frowned, "You do realize that you could've won that fight a whole lot sooner if you hadn't risk your life to save that young pilot? You sacrificed the chance for an easy win to save one of your allies whom you don't even know. That was very brave of you, Ribbon."</p><p class="">Ribbon didn't know what to reply. He hadn't considered that. All he thought in the past few minutes was that he made the mistake of getting hit by Valravn's missile, and that resulted in his plane being at a disadvantage when he finally took the fight back to the drone itself.</p><p class="">A few moments later, they both flew into a dense collection of clouds at the edge of Farbanti. Ribbon couldn't see anything in front of him – he was flying completely blind, but that didn't really matter. Thirteen was with him.</p><p class="">Eventually, the clouds dispersed, and Ribbon realized he wasn't in Farbanti anymore. Below him was a vast desert. The only landmark of note was a large circular fortress in front of him – a fortress consisted of eight gigantic turrets.</p><p class="">It was Stonehenge.</p><p class="">"Took you guys long enough!" A new voice spoke, a female voice.</p><p class="">A voice that curiously sounded just like Juno's.</p><p class="">Ribbon turned to his left and saw another Su-37 pulling up next to him, flying just opposite of Thirteen. Both of them flanking him on both sides.</p><p class="">He observed the new pilot: she didn't wear her flight helmet as well. She had tanned skin, and her dark brown hair was tied in an elegant, yet practical bun.</p><p class="">"Ribbon, allow me to introduce Yellow Four," Thirteen said proudly, "Though I'm sure you two knew each other already. This place was where you two had your first date, after all."</p><p class="">"Annnnd it was horrendous!" Four complained while making a pouted face, "Our date ended rather <em class="">explosively</em> barely a minute in. I didn't even have a chance to ask for your name!"</p><p class="">"I…"</p><p class="">Ribbon was overwhelmed. He couldn't find the words to reply to her. People often made fun of him of being the silent type, but this was the first time that he really didn't know what to say at all. How could he? He's conversing with the two people he personally killed.</p><p class="">Noticing the immense guilt in Ribbon's face, Four decided to cheer him up a bit:</p><p class="">"I never blamed you or anyone for what happened to me, Ribbon," She said kindly, "It's just bad luck. Nothing more or less."</p><p class="">"I…I'm so sorry…" Ribbon finally managed to reply, his voice was trembling, "I'm sorry for shooting you down. I'm sorry for killing both of you…I'm sorry for killing so many of your friends…I shouldn't have…<em class="">goddamn that stupid war</em>!"</p><p class="">Before he even realized it, tears were flowing down Ribbon's face uncontrollably. He kept his face down staring dead ahead, unable to bear the pain of looking into the eyes of the people he had killed.</p><p class="">It used to be so easy: shooting down enemies left and right without stopping to learn who they were. It used to be so easy for him when Yellow Squadron was just another enemy squadron he had to overcome, but after reading those letters sent from someone who knew both of them, explaining passionately how Yellow Thirteen and Four meant to him, Ribbon could not find any joy in his victory. Instead, he felt immerse sadness for them, and regret at how they could've been friends if not for that stupid war.</p><p class="">He had at least wanted Thirteen and Four to know that, but he couldn't even muster the courage to speak it out.</p><p class="">"It's okay, we understand," Four smiled at him, "As I said, I never blamed you for my death, nor does Thirteen's, or any of my friends that you shot down. You were doing your duty to your country, just as we were doing for ours. Nobody was at fault for that."</p><p class="">"She's right, you know?" Thirteen added, "Besides, you gave me a reason to fly again. After Four was shot down, I finally found my purpose in life – and it was to fight you, Ribbon. You reminded me what it means to be a true fighter pilot – to be so courageous, so determined, and so relentless in the face of overwhelming odds. You never give up, and I found that very inspiring."</p><p class="">The scenery around Ribbon changed again. The desert and the Stonehenge ruins disappeared, replaced by a vast open ocean. Below him lies a chain of islands very familiar to Ribbon. It was the place where he first landed a direct hit on a Yellow fighter during a large aerial battle here.</p><p class="">The Comona Islands.</p><p class="">"From our first encounter, you had been improving yourself. Every time we faced each other in battle, you continued to surprise me with how skilled you have become," Thirteen continued, "I was driven by you just as much as you were driven by us, Ribbon, and I wanted to thank you for that. Thank you for giving me the fight of my life."</p><p class="">"Dial it back down a bit, captain. Poor Ribbon must be flattered right now," Four jokingly added as she giggled.</p><p class="">That actually made Ribbon smiled a little, even as the tears continued to run down his face.</p><p class="">"What my captain is trying to say, Ribbon, is that you're still an inspiration, despite what you may think about what you did to us," Four continued, "What you did doesn't determine who you are, and I believed you are a good person, Ribbon. Why else would you risk your own life to save my sister?"</p><p class="">"So Sol 4…Juno…she's related to you, after all," Ribbon noted, "I thought her flying style was familiar."</p><p class="">"That stubborn girl actually succeeded in following my footsteps, after all," Four chuckled, "Juno always wanted to become a pilot, but she wasn't old enough to join us back then."</p><p class="">Four's expression saddened as she began realizing the implication of her sister becoming a pilot just like her – something that Ribbon noticed.</p><p class="">"That was one hell of a first sortie that she got herself into," Four said, "If you weren't there…I don't want to think about what could've happened to her. She was the only family I have left. If she ended up just like me, I'd…"</p><p class="">Four's expression became distressed. She could not bring herself to finish her speech. Instead, she turned to look at Ribbon and just gave him another small, thankful smile,</p><p class="">"I can't thank you enough for saving her life, Ribbon. I truly am," Four continued, "Outside of my friends in Yellow Squadron, Juno was my entire world. I wanted her to have a good life that I could never have. Thanks to you, she still has her chance."</p><p class="">"You see, Ribbon? Not all of your talents are about death and destruction," Thirteen added, "Your actions <em class="">saved</em> lives as well, lives that would otherwise perish had you were not there to protect them. The ability to risk our lives to save others is not a weakness, brother. It's what keeps us driven – to always strive to be better and protect those who can't protect themselves and those you cared about. To me, that's something worth fighting for. Something worth <em class="">living</em> for."</p><p class="">Another silence as the scenery changed again. The sky darkened as day turned into night. The sea and islands below them disappeared, replaced with an urban landscape – the same place where Ribbon took his plane off from before going on toward Megalith.</p><p class="">"Ah, I missed this place," Thirteen began, "San Salvacion hadn't changed much from back then. That's a good thing. I always loved that 'old town' feeling this place has. Made me feel nostalgic."</p><p class="">"Look, Thirteen! They finally turned our old hangar into a highway down there!" Four noted joyfully, as if she was a young student on a field trip, "Aw, they even planted small gardens near the tunnel. That's adorable!"</p><p class="">"Whatever, Four, would you kinda help me look for that café, please? I'm pretty sure it's around here somewhere!" Thirteen jokingly requested.</p><p class="">"Way to ruin the moment, captain," Four replied dryly, "So many places to pick in the city, and <em class="">you</em> choose to go to a café? What am I ever going to do with you?"</p><p class="">"Hey! At least I'm not that motormouth!" Thirteen retorted, "I swear, that guy is unbelievable!"</p><p class="">"Motormouth?" Ribbon asked.</p><p class="">"Oh, just some crazy guy we ran into sometimes around here," Four replied, "Loves to blast out rock music in his cockpit, and he just <em class="">won't shut up!</em> Pretty friendly guy, though. Said he used to be a kickass pilot back in the day."</p><p class="">"Whatever. He's not me, not by a long shot," Thirteen bragged, "Heh, we all know who's the best ace around here, right, Four?"</p><p class="">"That PJ guy would disagree, though," Four frowned, "He used to fly with the Demon Lord of the Round Table himself, you know?"</p><p class="">"Well, that Demon Lord <em class="">isn't</em> here yet, right?" Thirteen argued, "Tsk, just how good can that guy be, anyway?"</p><p class="">"God, you can be so unbelievable sometimes, captain." Four sighed.</p><p class="">That actually made Ribbon chuckled a little. At the very least, the tears stopped flowing now as he felt a bit surprised and amused at Thirteen and Four's giddy attitudes. They both laughed along with each other's antics, and Ribbon couldn't help but smile at their interactions as well.</p><p class="">Is this what he has been missing out? Is this what it feels like to fly with someone you can trust, someone you can rely on, someone you can share your feelings with no matter good or bad?</p><p class="">He had to admit, it was a <em class="">good feeling</em>.</p><p class="">"That café's right over there," He told both of them as he flew up ahead, "I was just flying over here earlier tonight. I'll show you the way."</p><p class="">"See? Ribbon knows what he's doing!" Thirteen spoke up enthusiastically. Four snickered back at her captain, but she followed him and Ribbon along anyway. Eventually, they reached the sky above their destination.</p><p class="">"Ah, darn, the place's already closed," Thirteen said dejectedly upon noticing that the café below him didn't have any light on, "Too bad, we all could've used a good drink."</p><p class="">"You know, you two missed a great party there tonight," Ribbon spoke up, "Before I went up on the mission, I took a moment to visit that café. It was bustling with ace pilots from all over: the Three Strikes, the Razgriz pilots, even Huckebein the Raven. They were all there sharing their stories together. I wish you guys could've been there."</p><p class="">"Huckebein the Raven was there, too? Damn!" Thirteen grunted, "I was a big fan of him back in the day. I still do, in fact! Glad to know the old man's still alive after all this time."</p><p class="">"You pretty much adore anyone who could give you a good fight, captain," Four sighed, "I missed that harmonica boy, though. The one who used to be so close with you back in the day. And the barkeep's daughter, too, I suppose. Despite what she did to me, I still couldn't find it in me to hate her for it. They both went through so much while being so young."</p><p class="">"Yeah, they really were interesting kids," Thirteen agreed, "I hope they're both doing well. The last time I saw them, we didn't exactly part on good terms. It had been my greatest regret until the last day of my life."</p><p class="">Ribbon noticed Thirteen's eyes saddened as he poured out his words. It seemed the events in this city still had a large effect in his life – afterlife – purgatory – lucid dream, whatever this place was.</p><p class="">"I just…wanted to let them know that I and Four don't hold it against them anymore for what they did." Thirteen continued, "They were young and confused, and they were right that we were the enemies who invaded their homes. They have every right to be angry at us for what we did."</p><p class="">"We wanted to let them know that we're sorry for what we did," Four added, "We never wanted to become enemies with them, but circumstances forced us to be on opposite sides, and it didn't end well for any of us. We just…wanted them to know that we already forgave them."</p><p class="">Ribbon observed Four as she glanced longingly at the small café below her. She sighed softly as she reminisced all the good and bad memories she had about this place. Ribbon thought back to all those letters that the 'harmonica boy' had written to him again, trying to imagine actually interacting with Thirteen, Four, and their friends in this very café as fellow human beings.</p><p class="">It must've been an amazing feeling, even if it didn't last long.</p><p class="">"I'll be sure to pass along the message," Ribbon promised, "I'll tell them about what you had just told me. I'm sure both of them needed some closure, too."</p><p class="">"That's…very generous of you, Ribbon," Thirteen said in a surprised voice.</p><p class="">"I…admit I don't usually talk to others much," Ribbon continued, "Actually, it's more like I don't really have <em class="">anyone</em> to talk to, to be honest. I'm not really what you called a people's person."</p><p class="">"Well, that explains why you don't have any wingman," Thirteen noted, "Must've been lonely flying alone all the time."</p><p class="">"Captain!" Four spoke up, "If it's what Ribbon preferred then let him! Plus, he's been doing fine so far on his own, right?"</p><p class="">"No, it's okay! Your captain's right, Four," Ribbon quickly reassured, "The truth is I'd make a bad squadron leader. Like I said earlier, I've been so used to fighting on my own. I'd probably don't know what to do if I was put into command. There <em class="">are</em> a few times where I had wingmen, yes, but they're pretty much just there for formality. I've never actually had to <em class="">lead</em> anyone."</p><p class="">Ribbon sighed deeply as he turned to look at both Thirteen and Four back and forth. He didn't want to admit it, but he was jealous of them. He was jealous of how the members of Yellow Squadron worked so well together, the sense of camaraderie they shared. As Mobius 1, Ribbon had never really experienced that. Sure, he had Sky Eye, but it's not exactly the same feeling.</p><p class="">"I was afraid of letting people down," Ribbon admitted to them, "With so many things expected out of me, I was afraid that I won't live up to it. Every time I show up on the battlefield, the morale of my allies skyrocketed. They always say 'Mobius 1 would lead us to victory!', 'he's the hero who could singlehandedly win wars!' or something like that, but the truth is I was in constant fear of failure. I wouldn't know what to do if I was given wingmen and what would happen if I couldn't protect them. The guilt would probably break me completely. I don't want something like that on my conscious, that's why I choose to fly solo. The last time I went out of my way to protect someone, I ended up here. Just look where it got you, Thirteen."</p><p class="">"Yeah, I won't lie that when Four was gone, something inside me was broken," Thirteen replied in a sad voice, "I used to pride myself over the fact that I never lost a wingman until you came along. When Four was shot down, I…I lost focus. I felt like I lost that edge I used to have, and from that point on – I kept making more and more mistakes."</p><p class="">"I'm sorry for that," Ribbon apologized again, "It must have been hard to lose your comrade in arms that you cared very much about."</p><p class="">"Both of you need to lighten up," Four said kindly, "It goes both ways, you know? You have to realize that wingmen like me are just as responsible for protecting you just as you are protecting us as well. The whole point of wingmen is that they're there to help keep their leaders safe, to help them do something that's more than they can handle on their own. Isn't that what happened tonight, Ribbon? You couldn't have defeated that superdrone on your own without the help of your new allies. They risked their lives for you just like I risked my life for my flight lead. Even if we put ourselves in harm's way, it's not because it's our duty, but because we wanted to protect the people we cared about, and that's our own choices."</p><p class="">Four looked past Ribbon's plane and stared into Thirteen's eyes just as he did the same. They both gave warm, understanding smiles at each other – accepting their own choices even if they resulted in their fates. Ribbon didn't say anything as he observed both of them. He didn't want to ruin the moment. Four's advice was everything he needed to hear. There's no need for anything else, and he's very thankful for her for this.</p><p class="">The sky turned from night to day as the scenery changed again. The land disappeared and replaced with the sea once again, and an island appeared in front of them. Ribbon could recognize the scene immediately: he's back at North Point. The large asteroid crater in the middle of the island was instantly recognizable for him. It was where his entire journey began, after all.</p><p class="">"Well, Ribbon, you're home now," Thirteen said, "That's a lovely little island you have there. A shame we never made it out this far back then."</p><p class="">"I would've loved to visit here. I have a thing for asteroid craters," Four added cheerfully, "I mean, the story behind them is tragic, but you can't deny there's a certain beauty in them. Always loved seeing those craters every time I went on sorties."</p><p class="">"Heh, you should see the one at Fort Grays Islands. That one's pretty spectacular," Ribbon said, "It's one of the larger craters out there. I've been there once or twice."</p><p class="">"Bigger doesn't always mean better, you know?" Thirteen replied amusingly, "I prefer simple things. Sometimes the simplest things in life are also the most meaningful."</p><p class="">"Heh..."</p><p class="">Ribbon turned to look at Thirteen, only to find that his plane wasn't flying beside him anymore. He turned to his left and didn't find Four's plane as well. In a panic, he scanned the skies looking for them.</p><p class="">"Thirteen? Four? Where are you!?"</p><p class="">"We're here!" Thirteen replied back. Ribbon turned to back to look behind him and saw Thirteen and Four flying casually together way behind. They weren't following him anymore.</p><p class="">"I'm sorry, Ribbon. This is as far as we can go." Four replied back solemnly, "It's time for you to head back home."</p><p class="">"But…I don't want to leave you two behind…"</p><p class="">Ribbon struggled to find the words. His plane began to fly upward even as his hands weren't touching the flight stick. He tried to push it downward, but somehow the plane won't let him. No matter what he did, his plane continued to fly up toward that dark blue sky above him.</p><p class="">He wasn't ready for this at all. He didn't want to go, not when he finally has a chance to fly with them as friends like this.</p><p class="">"This is where we belong, buddy," Thirteen explained gently, "The world still needs pilots like you, and it's up to you to lead them into an era of peace. That is and has always been your role, Ribbon."</p><p class="">"I don't know if I'm ready for this," Ribbon replied, "What if I mess up again?"</p><p class="">"Who doesn't mess up sometimes in their lives?" Four chuckled, "That's why you needed friends to help pick you up, dust you off, and stick with you through anything that comes your way. You're not in this fight alone, Ribbon. We'll always be there alongside you."</p><p class="">Ribbon felt tears forming in his eyes again. As much as he wanted to stay with them, deep down he knew he can't. Thirteen and Four were right. Sooner or later, there will be new conflicts, new wars, new enemies that threaten to throw the world into chaos once again, and he'd have to be there to keep the peace as long as he could.</p><p class="">
  <em class="">This is so unfair.</em>
</p><p class="">"Don't worry, buddy. Eventually, we'll have a chance to fly together again," Thirteen reassured, "It's not your time yet, but you'll get there. Until then, I want you to keep flying, okay? Never stop improving yourself. Never stop trying to be better than who you were yesterday. Don't be just an ace pilot, be an inspiration."</p><p class="">"Well….that's no pressure at all!" Ribbon replied jokingly even as tears were blinding his eyes. If he had to say goodbyes, he won't let his friends worry about him as he's about to leave, "How about I became an astronaut too while I'm at it?"</p><p class="">"Maybe not something that drastic, Ribbon," Four giggled, "Also, if it's not too much to ask, please look after Juno, okay? It'd make me very happy if you could guide her so she doesn't get herself in trouble."</p><p class="">"Will do!" Ribbon said as his plane started shaking violently. He was blasting off high into the sky like a rocket now. The world's starting to blur all around him.</p><p class="">"It's been fun flying with you guys," Ribbon spoke into the radio, his voice trembling from both his emotions and the force of the plane shaking around him, "I couldn't hope for better opponents than you two."</p><p class="">"We know, Ribbon," Thirteen replied back, "We know."</p><p class="">"Keep flying, Mobius 1," Four added cheerfully, "Always remember that we're both rooting for you!"</p><p class="">"Copy that, Yellow 4!" Mobius 1 said as the world around him finally faded away, "It's been an honor flying alongside you, Yellow Squadron!"</p><p class="">"The honor is all mine, Mobius 1." Yellow 13 said, confident that everything will turn out alright for his friend, "Fly well, ace."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Paths Crossing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="">In a million years, Trigger would never have expected that his first official meeting of the legendary Blue Ribbon pilot – an inspiration that he looked up to ever since the first ventured into his air force career – would be seeing him lying helplessly in a hospital bed.</p><p class="">The pilot - covered with splints and casts as a result of the injuries he suffered – slowly opened his eyes for the first time since his plane was shot down during the Second Battle of Megalith. He blinked a few times as his weakened eyes were greeted by bright sunlight from the outside.</p><p class="">"Doctor, he's awake!" Trigger called out to a doctor sitting on the other side of the room. He and the nurses immediately rushed to take care of Mobius 1 and perform basic checkups on him.</p><p class="">"Ugh…where am…" He groaned, his voice strained from the wounds on his body, "…where am I? Did we…won?"</p><p class="">"Please relax, colonel," The doctor said in a kind voice, "You are at Farbanti Central Hospital. Everything's alright now."</p><p class=""><em class="">Huh, so Mobius 1 is a colonel</em>. Trigger thought. He didn't know a lot of pilots with the rank colonel. The only other pilot who once held that rank that he personally knew was Huckebein the Raven himself when he was still in the Belkan Air Force. Made sense, though. They both had served in the military for a long time and they genuinely earned their ranks, especially Mobius 1. He definitely deserved it from all the stunts he pulled.</p><p class="">"Do you remember what happened to you?" The doctor asked.</p><p class="">"I…I was engaging an enemy drone at the Megalith. That was around zero one twenty-seven, I think," He began, "The drone was about to detonate its nuclear payload. I managed to shoot it down before it could do that, but my plane suffered critical damage and…"</p><p class="">He hesitated for a moment, then he took a deep breath to compose himself before he continued:</p><p class="">"…I crashed into the sea. That's about the last thing I remember, doctor."</p><p class="">Trigger figured there's something more that happened after he crashed into the sea, but he kept it to himself. The colonel had enough to deal with right now as it is.</p><p class="">"What about before that? What happened before you went on that mission, colonel?"</p><p class="">"I was…in San Salvacion, I think. I was visiting a friend at a café there. It was snowing that night."</p><p class="">Trigger frowned. Did Mobius 1 come to San Salvacion that night? He began recalling the events when he and his friends were at that café together. There was a moment or two where he thought he saw Jack Bartlett talking with someone outside that night. He didn't get a clear view of who he was talking to, but now he's starting to get the idea.</p><p class=""><em class="">So, Jack Bartlett knew Mobius 1, too.</em> Trigger thought*. Damn, that guy knows everybody!*</p><p class="">The doctor then proceeded to ask about his past some more to test his long-term memory. He remembered taking part in the first Continental War and how he played a major role in ending it. His eyes saddened as he recalled those memories. Trigger wagered that what happened back then still affected to him even to this day, which surprised him a bit. He always imagined that nothing in this crazy world could flap a man like Mobius 1 off.</p><p class="">"Alright, it seems you didn't suffer from any memory loss, colonel. That's a very good thing," The doctor smiled – which quickly faded, "Though I must say that you <em class="">did</em> suffer some serious injuries from your crash. You have been unconscious for almost a month, colonel, and I'm afraid to say that it isn't the only bad news."</p><p class="">The doctor walked over to a nearby stand holding x-ray photos before pulling it towards him. Trigger just observed the situation quietly. He never liked situations where one had to play the bearer of bad news. The doctor's look on his face reminded him of when Clown and Knocker's faces when they both had to inform Trigger that he's going to be court-martialed just after he's accused of killing ex-President Harling. Somehow, that was even more painful than seeing the plane itself going down in flames.</p><p class="">"Your body has received extensive damages, colonel. About 47 bones broken." The doctor began gently, "There are several bone fractures in your upper body. Both of your arms and your right leg are broken, as well as your ribs. A jagged bone punctured your lung as well. We managed to do a successful surgery to remove it, but you will find difficulty breathing from this point on until your lung is healed."</p><p class="">The doctor paused for a while as he observed his patient's reaction. The colonel's face was expressionless, his eyes stared blankly at the x-rays of his body in front of him without speaking a word. Trigger contemplated guessing what was going through his mind at the moment but then decided against it. He couldn't imagine if he was put into that position himself.</p><p class="">"I've been told that the water was very cold when you crashed into the sea, and your friends told me that you were suffering from hypothermia when they rescued you from the wreck," The doctor continued, "Though your condition has stabilized right now, I'll have to warn that you may experience irregular heartbeats and decreased reflexes. All these injuries mean it will take a long time before you are fully healed."</p><p class="">"Am I…still capable of flying, doctor?" The colonel finally asked, as if it was the only thing on his mind.</p><p class="">The doctor sighed as he took off his glasses and put them into his front pocket, "I wish I could find an easier way to say it, colonel, but the reality is you won't be going back to flying anytime soon – and even when you are fully capable, your body will not perform like it used to before you got shot down. The strain will be too much for you to handle."</p><p class="">Trigger could see the expression on Mobius 1's face turning grim. He lowered his face solemnly before turning to the windows, glancing at the scene outside to get the cruel truth out of his mind. Trigger was reminded of his encounter with Mihaly A. Shilage in his home about two months ago. The man himself had struggled to come to terms with not being able to fly again as well. To see Mobius 1 himself in that position, Trigger couldn't even comprehend what he would be feeling right now.</p><p class="">"You <em class="">can</em> go back to flying after your body is healed, colonel, but I'd strongly advise against it," The doctor continued, "I truly understand what this means to you as a fighter pilot, but that's also why I feel obligated to inform you this. So many former patients of mine were fighter pilots, too. They believed they were still capable of flying like they used to before their injuries. Most of them…learned the hard way that they weren't. I do not wish to see the same thing happened to you."</p><p class="">"Alright, I think that would be enough, doctor," Trigger spoke up as he grabbed the doctor by the shoulder, "Let the colonel have some rest for now. Whether he can go back to flying is something to be discussed for another time."</p><p class="">The doctor hesitated for a moment, before nodding a little in understanding.</p><p class="">"As you wish. I'll leave you two alone, sir," The doctor said as he put his glasses back on, "If you require any assistance, please don't hesitate to call me or the nurses. Good day, gentlemen."</p><p class="">As the doctor and the nurses left the room, Trigger was left contemplating whether or not to say anything to the now-temporarily crippled ace pilot in front of him. What was there to say? That he's a big fan? That he's sorry he found him in this situation? How does it feel like getting shot down?</p><p class="">"So, you must be the infamous pilot with the Three Strikes."</p><p class="">Mobius 1 began first. Trigger almost sighed with relief that he did because he didn't just want to stand there watching him awkwardly.</p><p class="">"You did go to the café that night."</p><p class="">"I did."</p><p class="">"But you didn't come in?"</p><p class="">"Well, I had a mission to do, remember? Can't stay there for long, and I'm not a people person anyway," The Colonel replied with a small chuckle, surprising Trigger. The man was more upbeat than he thought, considering that he had just received the bad news earlier.</p><p class="">"I heard it was pretty rough out there. Wish I could've been there," Trigger said sheepishly. He <em class="">wanted</em> to join that fight not because he likes to, but he had always wanted a chance to fly alongside the legendary Mobius One for once. Considering the state of the man right now, it's going to be a <em class="">long</em> time before he could get another chance, if ever at all.</p><p class="">"It's okay. You earned your rest after everything you did in the Lighthouse War," The colonel replied, "Usea is saved from chaos once again thanks to you and your friends."</p><p class="">"Well, you saved it many times before I come along, sir," Trigger said, "Have to admit, you are one of my idols, colonel. Every crazy stunt I managed to pull off in that war, I learned from your examples. Hell, you even did all that with barely any allies backing you up!"</p><p class="">"And that was my mistake. I learned the hard way that I shouldn't have to go through everything alone," Mobius 1 explained, "That battle at the Megalith…I couldn't have done it if I didn't have useful allies to back me up. Those boys in the ground forces, the AWACS, my 'wingmen' in the air...Without them, the battle would have been lost no matter how skilled I was. Without them, we could all have been killed. There's only so much an ace pilot can do, you know?"</p><p class="">"Well, it would've helped if our allies didn't make us feel like they're useless all the time," Trigger chuckled.</p><p class="">"They could learn a lesson or two from the Emmerians," The colonel grinned, nodding a little in agreement, "I swear, they probably have the most disciplined army in the world if I have to say so myself."</p><p class="">"Ha, I wouldn't argue with you there, sir," Trigger laughed. He knew about the Emmerians' exploits in their war with Estovakia. It happened just a few years before the Lighthouse War so the whole conflict was still pretty fresh in the world's history, and practically everyone agreed that the Emmerian Military's sheer <em class="">magnificent</em> display of competence was probably the biggest reason why the Emmerians managed to turn the tide as they did.</p><p class="">"Still, the boys in Sea Goblin did manage to fish you out from the sea before you drowned, sir," Trigger explained, "Captain Clarkson of <em class="">Admiral Andersen</em> commended that he'd never seen such an efficient rescue operation in his life. It's almost as if this wasn't the first time they did this."</p><p class="">Mobius 1 had to resist himself from laughing out loud. Apparently, Trigger didn't know about Sea Goblin's involvement in rescuing the Razgriz pilots and faked their deaths. He learned that from Bartlett when he was bragging about his students' exploits in one of their conversations in the past, but apparently he didn't tell the pilot with the Three Strikes, one of his own students. At least he knew something Three Strikes didn't know.</p><p class="">"Also, I wanted to mention that Skald made it out alive as well," Trigger added with a smile, "After the <em class="">Helios</em> exploded. His plane caught fire but he managed to bail out. That drone apparently was too busy chasing you to notice him, and he made it back to <em class="">Admiral Andersen</em> safely. Lucky guy."</p><p class="">"Fencer must be happy to know that," The colonel said, "How's everyone doing after that mission?"</p><p class="">"Aside from worrying sick about you?" Trigger asked back, causing both of them to chuckle a little before Trigger began explaining what had happened after that fateful mission.</p><p class="">----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="">Gregor closed his umbrella after it was apparent that the rain had already stopped. Somehow, despite the somber atmosphere, he still found it a little bit amused that it just so happened to rain during Hendricks' funeral. He always thought that those 'rain during funerals' only happened in the movies.</p><p class="">Due to all the chaotic aftermath of the battle at the Megalith, Gregor and his Bravo Team had no choice but to stick around in the area for a few weeks to help the IUN forces establishing a firm foothold on the now-fallen megafortress – ensuring that it will never fall into the wrong hands again.</p><p class="">Since getting back to the mainland, Gregor's first priority was to check in on Mobius 1. The legendary pilot was still in a coma by the time he visited him, but the man was still alive. He and Sky Eye were confident that their old friend would have a full recovery. He had a history of overcoming the impossible, after all, so that's one less thing they both have to worry about.</p><p class="">The other thing he still had to do was to take care of the deceased soldiers under his command. Even though he was glad that the Second Battle of Megalith did not result in as many casualties as the last time they assaulted it, one of the casualties happened to be an old friend and a long-time comrade in arms of his. Rubbing salt in the wound was that there's pretty much nothing left of Hendricks after he blew himself up. He couldn't bear to look at his wife and his son in the eyes after he had to inform him about what happened. After two agonizing months, Hendricks finally received a proper funeral that he deserved, back at his hometown in North Point.</p><p class="">Almost all of the guests had already gone home. Altman said he wanted to take some time off to clear his thoughts, while Brandt went back to helping a family business. Only Gregor himself was still standing in front of the grave. There was only one other person with him.</p><p class="">"I'm surprised you came with us all the way here, Specialist Davenport," Gregor spoke up.</p><p class="">The young Osean soldier only smiled sheepishly in response, "Always wanted to come to North Point, anyway. It's one of my personal goals, actually."</p><p class="">Liz stared at the now clear sky with a small resigned smile on her face. "My brother Alvin used to tell me that he wanted to come here someday when he gets the chance. He even promised that he'll take me here as well."</p><p class="">"Sounds like you and your brother were pretty close."</p><p class="">"Yeah, well, at least until he went into the air force," Liz admitted, "Ever since he was posted at Sand Island AFB, the farthest base from the capital, we barely had any time to talk with each other – even more so when the war broke out and…"</p><p class="">Liz paused as she began to recall the past she had buried deep behind her. Despite it being almost ten years since then, Liz still remembered the moment when an OADF representative showed up at her family home's front door and informed them of her brother's demise at November City. She cried herself to sleep three days in a roll after that – and it took her even longer to even begin to get over her brother's untimely death. She sighed deeply to clear her mind from that thought before she continued.</p><p class="">"I guess all we can hope for is that they're looking out for us, wherever they might be right now," Liz finally spoke, "All we can do is…suck it up and move on.</p><p class="">"I suppose so," Gregor agreed as he adjusted his service cap in place. Being a North Pointer, he had always been taught from a young age never to show weaknesses. To always stay calm and composed no matter how worse the situation gets. It was probably the only reason why he didn't blow General Aldrich's brains out back at the Megalith despite everything he did.</p><p class="">Hendricks probably would've wanted him to move on, just like how Liz's brother would've wanted her to. They both needed to move on.</p><p class="">"At least we still managed to save others," Gregor began, "We saved the world from another possible drone uprising, and Mobius 1 survived despite all odds. That's a win in my book."</p><p class="">"Yeah. Definitely something my brother would brag about if he was here," Liz replied, "Damn, that was one hell of a mission."</p><p class="">"Say, you're a pretty good fighter, specialist," Gregor turned to smile at Liz, "We could've used someone like you in Bravo. It's good to know that there are soldiers like you in the OMC. I'm looking forward to the next joint exercise between our countries."</p><p class="">"Heh, you're too kind, captain. And please, just call me Liz," Liz smiled back in response, "Actually, my superiors kinda hated me, I'd say. They thought I was too stubborn and I don't usually work by the rules, plus I talked a lot – something that I definitely take after my big bro."</p><p class="">"Well, I take that as a sign that you can think outside the box. That's a quality of a good soldier," Gregor said, "You never know when things could go south out there. Sometimes you need to be able to improvise. I'd say you'd be pretty good at that."</p><p class="">"Wow…that's…actually the nicest compliment I've ever had in a while," Liz replied, her expression visibly brighten up with genuine joy, "Thank you very much, sir."</p><p class="">"Drop the formalities already, Liz. I'm not your commanding officer, lady!" Gregor joked, "Let's go find something else to do for a change. Come on. I'll show you where to go in North Point. I'm meeting up with that Sky Eye guy later. He would've loved to show you the place."</p><p class="">"Heh, thanks, cap." Liz grinned. She'd never admit it out loud, but she really liked this Gregor guy.</p><p class="">----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="">Jason just couldn't get used to the weather in Usea.</p><p class="">Since rescuing Mobius 1 from the sea, Sea Goblin Team finally earned some well-deserved break for the first time since the end of the Lighthouse War. Most of the team decided to go on a trip to Selatapura with the Basilisk Team members, but Jason didn't go with them. He didn't like going to crowded tourist trap cities at all, especially not in this weird weather of this continent.</p><p class="">That was why he decided to, of all things, pay a visit to a new friend of his in prison instead.</p><p class="">"So, how's life been treating you so far, major?"</p><p class="">Jason asked a middle-aged man sitting opposite of him behind a strengthened window. The man had a somewhat amused expression on his face.</p><p class="">"Fort Ducard isn't so bad compared to the other prison camps I've been to, lieutenant," The major replied, "At least they don't put prisoners into solitary as often as yours did."</p><p class="">"Heh, it depends on who's in charge, really," Jason chuckled, "Plus you got a pretty light sentence considering you helped us out at Megalith back then."</p><p class="">"It was mostly thanks to your good word," The major admitted, "I still did a lot of terrible things before I defected, lieutenant. If anything, I got off pretty lightly if I have to say so myself."</p><p class="">"I heard you were that one operative who tried to sabotage our repairs of the Stonehenge turret during the Lighthouse War," Jason noted, "You were the one who picked off Major McOnie's survey teams back then, plus a few civilians who were caught in the crossfire."</p><p class="">"I had no choice, lieutenant," The major sighed, "At that moment, it was the only way I could prevent your forces from making use of that turret. I didn't feel happy about it – even more so when it turned out me and my men got our hands dirty for nothing thanks to your major being such a good shot."</p><p class="">"Heh, sorry about that. Wars tend to be unfair most of the time," Jason agreed, "Still, the fact that you helped us out at the Megalith is proof that we <em class="">are</em> capable of working together if we really put our minds to it, major. Even Lucas grudgingly admitted that without you, we wouldn't have won that battle, even with those aces in the sky."</p><p class="">"Just doing what little I could do to atone for my crimes," The major said, "It's actually pretty nice here, you know, getting your mind off those pointless fighting, bloody conflicts, and just enjoy the world for what it is. I could think of worse ways to live."</p><p class="">"Heh, Harling would've liked you if you two had a chance to meet," Jason smiled, "He's always big on making friends with former enemies – no matter what crimes they had done in the past. If they're willing to change themselves for the better, then he won't hesitate to give them their second chances."</p><p class="">"That's a pretty dangerous ideology, lieutenant," The major cautioned, "Not everyone would be willing to change themselves, and sometimes grudges ran deep. You should know considering what my country and Belka did to you in the past years. Sure, it's a noble sentiment to make peace with your enemies, but you also have to be on your guard in case they tried anything as well."</p><p class="">"Well, if we did that, we'd probably shoot you on sight back then, and that would not end well for all of us," Jason replied, "Sometimes we have to take some risks, a leap of faith, putting our trust in a stranger. We Oseans are capable of playing dirty just as well as anyone, major, we just preferred not to. Harling taught us that we can bring out the best in others, and that's what we Sea Goblins chose to believe."</p><p class="">"I suppose you have a point," The major admitted, "I'm sorry, it's just…My own experience in the past war is why I have trust issues. I admit that if I was in your place back then, lieutenant, I wouldn't have spared you."</p><p class="">"Heh, I suppose so."</p><p class="">Jason wondered just what this major had gone through in the past. There's just so much mystery surrounding this 'Glitnir'. He had seen his real name earlier when he talked with the base commander, but apparently it's not even his first name. He had changed identities several times in the past few years as he operated as a special operative under Erusea and the Free Erusea organization.</p><p class="">"You know, there's still something I still would like to know," Jason began, "Back in the Megalith, when you told us the password to disable the laser turrets: 'Aquila', wasn't it? You said that it meant everything to you. What did you mean by that?"</p><p class="">The major stayed silent for a while, contemplating whether or not to answer Jason's inquiry. He was reminded of the past he had since long kept buried within.</p><p class="">"I told you back then that I was once the commander of an elite air force squadron in the previous war. That squadron's official name was designated 'Aquila'," He finally began, "Most people knew them by the other name, though: 'Yellow Squadron'."</p><p class="">"Mobius One's greatest nemesis," Jason added in awe, "Then that means…"</p><p class="">"Yes, I was once one of them," Glitnir smiled a little, "I was 'Yellow One'."</p><p class=""><em class="">Holy shit</em>. Jason thought. He learned from Bravo Team that Yellow Squadron was all but wiped out in the last Continental War. There wasn't supposed to be any survivor! Guess the Razgriz pilots weren't the only ones with a talent for faking death.</p><p class="">"Normally, it was Thirteen who would lead the squadron in the air, while I just handle the logistics and combat strategies on the ground. Hell, I can't even remember the last time I flew anymore." Glitnir explained, "Officially, I was the squadron leader, but Thirteen was the <em class="">de facto</em> leader during combat sorties. That's why I was the only one who made out alive while every single one of my wingmen perished."</p><p class="">Glitnir's smile faded. His eyes turned sorrowful as he reminisced about his fallen friends from times long past, wondering if things could have turned out differently had he was up there with them in Farbanti that day. He wanted to be up there fighting alongside Thirteen and the others, but the Erusean top ace had other ideas for him.</p><p class="">"'Take care of Four's sister for us', Thirteen told me," Glitnir said in a sad voice, "That was his last words before he and his friends went up there to meet their destiny over Farbanti. The last request of a man who had nothing to lose…"</p><p class="">"Four's sister...You mean that new pilot in Sol Squadron?"</p><p class="">"Yes, the one and the same," Glitnir nodded, "Since the war's end, I became her guardian angel from afar, doing my best to keep her out of harm's way. Still, I don't want to influence her life choices. If she wanted to become a fighter pilot like her sister, then it's her choice. That doesn't mean I will stand by and let her die, though."</p><p class="">"So she was the reason you decided to defect?"</p><p class="">"I meant it when I said that I wanted to stop the general's plan from causing further conflicts," Glitnir quickly answered, "Though I won't deny that Juno's well-being is also a major factor in my decision. She would have been killed had the general's plan was allowed to succeed, and I cannot let that happen. It's up to you then, lieutenant, to decide whether or not it was a good enough reason for me to do what I did."</p><p class="">"I'm not one to judge you, major," Jason said, "Though if it means anything, I still appreciate what you did for us regardless of your reasons. You did some terrible things, and now you're paying for it in here. That doesn't change the fact that without your help, we wouldn't be able to save the world. I suppose that should count for something."</p><p class="">"Heh…" Glitnir chuckled, "You know, now that you mention it, I actually really wanted to see the day when pilots from all over can fly together in that same borderless sky peacefully. Wouldn't that be something to see?"</p><p class="">"That's what happened in Sudentor," Jason added, "It also happened at the Lighthouse. It could happen again if people could get their acts together for once."</p><p class="">"Exactly. That's what General Aldrich didn't seem to understand when he came up with Project Icarus," Glitnir said, "People often forget that Icarus was also warned <em class="">not</em> to fly too low as well, lest his wings would be melted by the saltwater. The same applies for those ace pilots that he so despised. Those pilots were capable of causing so much destruction to the world, but they are also capable of being <em class="">protectors</em> as well. Without them, the world would've fallen into anarchy a long time ago."</p><p class="">"Yeah..." Jason agreed.</p><p class="">Just then, two prison guards walked into the room as an alarm rang. The visiting time was over.</p><p class="">"Alright, I guess I have to go back now," Jason said as he stood up from his chair, "It's been an interesting talk with you, major."</p><p class="">"That makes two of us, lieutenant," Glitnir said as one of the guards nudged him to stand up and prepare to take him back to his cell, "Also, if you meet Ribbon again, tell him that at least one Aquila still lives on, will you?"</p><p class="">"Heh, will do, major." Jason nodded back with a grin. Glitnir smiled back with satisfaction as the guards finally took him away.</p><p class="">Perhaps his business in Usea wasn't over yet, after all.</p><p class="">----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="">Wit couldn't stop being angry at himself since the battle of the Megalith ended.</p><p class="">He lost two longtime friends and comrade in arms whom he vowed to protect. He thought he could succeed where Mihaly's top student failed and protect all of his wingmen, yet here he was: a failure of a pilot who lost two wingmen on his first official mission as a squadron leader. How could he face Mihaly again after all this mess?</p><p class="">Even as they were back safely at their home in Voslage, Wit just couldn't find peace in the familiar surroundings anymore. Everything around him just reminded him of the friends who didn't make it back. What used to be a lively hangar felt a lot less empty now.</p><p class="">"Damn it, Wit, how many times must I tell you? Roald and Hermann's deaths weren't your fault!" Seymour once told him not long ago, "We all knew the risks when we were up there. That's what Mihaly kept teaching us, right? All pilots are responsible for their own lives up there."</p><p class="">"Easy for you to say, Seymour," Wit retorted, "How am I supposed to lead this squadron when all I seem to achieve is nothing but failure? I failed at Farbanti. I failed at Shilage. I failed at the Lighthouse. And now I even failed at Megalith! I'm a failure, Seymour, plain and simple. I shouldn't even be in this squadron."</p><p class="">"And who is alive because of you, Wit? Me! Juno wouldn't have made it out alive if not for you as well." Seymour said, "You also told the pilot with the Three Strikes how to take down that Arsenal Bird, and helped the Blue Ribbon shoot down that drone. They wouldn't have achieved their missions without you."</p><p class="">"Enough!" Wit cut him off with a sudden outburst, startling Seymour, "I'm sorry, it's just…just leave me alone for a while, please."</p><p class="">Seymour opened his mouth as if to say something, then decided against it before quietly exiting the room leaving Wit alone in silence to contemplate the recent events.</p><p class="">How couldn't Seymour understand that he didn't want to be like this? He wanted to be the great leader that he thought he would. Wit thought he could lead his friends as good as Mihaly once did, but reality checked in on him in the worst way possible. As skilled as Wit was, he was so hopelessly outclassed by pretty much everyone he went up against, and it cost him his friends' lives. He didn't want to lose Seymour and Juno as well.</p><p class="">Wit scoffed as he thought about his newest recruit. The young lady didn't even show up here today. Maybe she realized just what a failure her squadron leader was and decided to get the hell away from him before he got her killed, too. Hell, she <em class="">almost got killed</em> at Megalith, and Wit could do nothing but watch as that nightmarish drone ran her down. If not for the Blue Ribbon's involvement, she would have surely died that night.</p><p class="">He just wasn't ready for this.</p><p class="">"I thought I told you to leave me alone, Seymour." Wit spoke up as he heard the door creaked open again and the sound of footsteps walking into the room.</p><p class="">"Guess again, Snowbird." A stranger's voice replied.</p><p class="">Wit turned back as to look as he heard the familiar voice. The speaker was none other than Cyclops 1 'Fencer' of the LRSSG.</p><p class="">"What are you doing here?" Wit asked with frustration. He wasn't used to seeing a non-Voslagian pilot here inside their personal hangar, "How did you track me down?"</p><p class="">"Wasn't hard, really. You and your buddies were practically the only ones left flying for Voslage anyway," Fencer answered, "I figured since I was in the neighborhood, might as well check up on you guys. That was a pretty rough night you all went through."</p><p class="">"What's your point?"</p><p class="">"God, are you always so hostile to outsiders?" Fencer frowned, "You aren't the only ones who lost friends that night, you know? I also lost my student Tailor. As much of a pain in the ass that he was, it hit me hard when I saw him died helplessly like that. I couldn't do anything to save him as well."</p><p class="">"If you're trying to make me feel better for knowing I'm not the only failure in the room, it's not working." Wit said coldly.</p><p class="">"Well, I'm never much of a motivator," Fencer chuckled bitterly, "I'm just a guy doin' my best to make peace with whatever crap that happened to me. Can't say that I'm successful so far."</p><p class="">"So why are you <em class="">really</em> here?" Wit asked again. He was running out of patience with this Osean pilot, "Why can't anyone just leave me alone!?"</p><p class="">"Goddamn it, just listen to me for one minute, will ya!?" Fencer growled, suddenly startling Wit. He never knew the guy could be so terrifying on the ground. He seemed like a whole different person from when he was flying.</p><p class="">"Long Caster was worried about you and your team," Fencer began as he composed himself, "He knew what you guys went through during the final days of the Lighthouse War and the battle at the Megalith. He knew you'd probably need some support, so he extended an offer for you, Seymour, and that new girl of yours. LRSSG was being reorganized into an international joint military task force sponsored by Princess Cossette, and your squadron could prove to be valuable members in it."</p><p class="">"We don't need anyone's charity," Wit quickly spoke up, "Our air force could handle things on our own."</p><p class="">"I'm not finished," Fencer frowned, "This new task force would be led by none other than Trigger. You know? The pilot with the Three Strikes? And that's not the best thing. The best thing is Mobius 1 – the Blue Ribbon himself – had agreed to become a flight instructor once he got better."</p><p class="">"The Blue Ribbon and the Three Strikes…together?" Wit asked. Now <em class="">that</em> actually piqued his interest, "What the hell are those two pilots up to?"</p><p class="">"The hell should I know? They won't say anything to me yet. Said it was top secret unless you joined," Fencer replied.</p><p class="">"What makes you think I and my team would do that?" Wit frowned.</p><p class="">"Well, considering the sorry state of your air force, I'd say you could all use some support," Fencer scratched his chin as he glanced around the mostly empty hangar of what's left of Sol Squadron, "But who am I to tell you what to do, huh? It's not like I could convince Juno to go see Mobius One and Trigger in Farbanti just earlier today."</p><p class="">"She <em class="">did what</em>!?" Wit shouted as he suddenly got up from his seat and quickly approached Fencer, prompting him to back away a few steps, "Explain, now!"</p><p class="">"Hey, chill, chill!" Fencer wailed, "I happened to run into her in the town earlier and told her just about the same thing I've just told you, and she rushed to catch the next train to Farbanti just after that. She probably wanted to meet the legend himself, perhaps."</p><p class="">Just then, Wit rushed straight out of the hangar, grabbing his jacket on the way out. He didn't even say anything to Fencer.</p><p class=""><em class="">Goddamn that girl!</em> Wit thought. <em class="">Always going off on her own!</em></p><p class="">He's not going to let her go, not by herself, damn it. As much as she was a pain in the ass for him, she's still one of his wingmen, and it's his responsibility to look after her no matter what it takes, and that's why he had to go after her.</p><p class="">"Hey, at least take Seymour with you! The more the merrier!" Fencer shouted after him, before letting out a resigned sigh once Wit was out of sight, "What <em class="">is it</em> with those Voslagians?"</p><p class="">----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="">Juno stood silently in front of the door to Room 118 – Mobius 1's room in Farbanti Central Hospital. She was unsure of what to do next.</p><p class="">Here she was, standing in front of the room that contained her sister's killer, who was also her own savior. How would she even begin the conversation? What was she even doing here?</p><p class="">She probably should've thought this through a little bit more. After running into that Osean pilot 'Fencer' who told her about Mobius 1, she just felt an inexplicable impulse to go see him here. Despite having all day to think about what she would say to him during the entire train ride from Voslage to Farbanti, her speeches were all but thrown out of the window by the time she actually arrived at her destination.</p><p class="">Before she could contemplate anything further, the door suddenly slid open.</p><p class="">"Oh, you're visiting the colonel too, huh?" A tall, young, somewhat well-built man greeted her with a smile, "Damn, Fencer sure works quickly."</p><p class="">"I…I…"</p><p class="">Juno tried to say anything to reply back, but she was too awestruck by the realization that the man in front of her was none other than Trigger: the pilot with the Three Strikes – her own squadron's greatest nemesis during the Lighthouse War.</p><p class="">"Well, come on in! Don't be shy, lady!" Trigger encouraged as he stepped aside to allow her the room to walk in, "I promise I won't bite."</p><p class="">"Ah, uh, thank you, sir…" Juno said awkwardly. It seemed like she had no choice but to accept the invitation.</p><p class="">As she stepped into the room, she immediately saw the Blue Ribbon pilot lying on his bed next to the window. He looked as miserable as she imagined him to be, and that made her feel guilty for being partly responsible for him turning out like this.</p><p class="">"Hi, you must be Sol 4. Juno, isn't it?" Mobius 1 greeted kindly, followed by a couple of light coughs as he felt some pain in his chest, "I'm sorry. My lungs aren't working at their best today."</p><p class="">"It's…it's an honor to meet you, sir…" Juno spoke nervously, "Is this the right time? Should I come back later?"</p><p class="">"Nah, it's fine! We were just discussing something you and your friends might be interested in," Mobius 1 replied, "Also, feel free to call me Ribbon. You know? That's…basically my name for the time being."</p><p class="">"Ah, okay….Ribbon it is, sir." Juno just nodded in response, her eyes still not moving away from the ace pilot in front of her.</p><p class="">Just then, Trigger's cellphone had a new message alert, prompting him to check it. Afterward, he turned toward Ribbon and Juno before smiling at them both sheepishly.</p><p class="">"Sorry, had to go pick up some people downstairs," Trigger said, "I'll just leave you two alone for a while,"</p><p class="">After Trigger left the room, Juno was alone with the veteran IUN ace pilot. For a big while, they just stood there observing each other. Now that they were face-to-face for real, Juno just couldn't see how this man could be responsible for her sister's death at all. He didn't seem to have that…bloodthirsty nature at all.</p><p class="">She sighed a little as she silently berated herself in her mind: what a person looked like outside doesn't mean squat when they're up in the air shooting things. This was the man who singlehandedly <em class="">crushed</em> the entire Erusean Military back then, after all.</p><p class="">Finally, it was Ribbon who began first.</p><p class="">"You really <em class="">do</em> look like her…like Yellow Four," Ribbon said as his expression turned to regret, "I'm so sorry for what happened."</p><p class="">Juno could only give a light nod in response. She felt tears starting to form in her eyes, but she tried to hold them back in. Suddenly, the confidence that she didn't have earlier was returning to her.</p><p class="">Now that she's face-to-face with her sister's killer, there was no way in hell she was going to let it slide.</p><p class="">"She…was the only family I had, and you killed her." She spoke slowly, hoping that every word she said would sink into the Ribbon pilot as much as possible.</p><p class="">"I know, and I regret it even until this day," Ribbon nodded back, "That's why I wanted to make sure that nothing happens to you, no matter what happens to me."</p><p class="">"Was that why you protected me? Was that why you saved my life from that drone?"</p><p class="">"The way you were being chased down by the Valravn…it reminded me of myself when I was younger," Ribbon explained in a weary voice, "It reminded me of how much of a monster I was on the battlefield back then, with all those people I killed. I don't want to see it happen to you as well."</p><p class="">"Why me? What makes me so special?" Juno demanded, "Why me and not my sister?"</p><p class="">Ribbon went silent again. Juno could see from his expression that he's contemplating on what to say to her – almost as if he thought she wouldn't believe him if he explains it.</p><p class="">"I…made a promise," He finally answered, "To an old friend."</p><p class="">Juno wanted to ask more about what he meant by that but soon realized that he probably won't say anything more to her about the subject, so she just sighed and walked over to a nearby counter for a glass of water.</p><p class="">"I often imagine how my sister felt in the last moments of her life," She began, "I wondered if she was wailing in agony as she was being burned alive inside her cockpit, if she was crying her heart out because she realized death was coming for her, or if it was all over in just a flash when her plane exploded to pieces. All those details would often keep me awake at night, wondering just how much of a nightmare did my sister went through before it was all over."</p><p class="">Ribbon listened to her quietly with a calm expression. He didn't want to interrupt her. Deep down, he knew that he deserved all this, even if Four herself reassured him that she did not blame him for her death. Getting an earful by Four's sister was the least punishment he could get, actually.</p><p class="">Juno finished the rest of her drink before sighing deeply. Her eyes made contact with Ribbon's once again, and she could clearly see the regret and anguish in those blue eyes of his. He looked like he's in his early forties, but his weary eyes made him seemed far older than he looked. Somehow, the vengeful thought in Juno's head disappeared, replaced with sympathy for the man instead.</p><p class="">"When that drone was chasing me down, all those nightmares I kept wondering about suddenly hit me all at once," She continued as her voice started breaking a little, "I kept thinking: 'this is it for me. I'm going to die just like my sister. This is the end'."</p><p class="">Juno took a deep breath to regain her composure as Ribbon watched her on, feeling pity for the poor girl for what she went through – what <em class="">he</em> made Yellow Four went through.</p><p class="">How the hell does one manage to recover from that?</p><p class="">"I would've been a dead woman if you hadn't saved me," Juno continued as she turned to look at Ribbon once again, her face forming a small, bitter smile, "As much as I don't want to admit it, I owed you my life, Ribbon."</p><p class="">"It's the least I can do, really," Ribbon replied kindly, "I'm very glad you didn't have to join your sister."</p><p class="">"Heh, I guess someone up there still likes me," Juno chuckled, "But enough about my sob story. How about you, Ribbon? How did it feel like to get shot down?"</p><p class="">"It's…not as painful as I imagine," Ribbon admitted, "I thought it was going to be a hellish experience, actually. I'm still terrified of dying just like any other person. So imagine my surprise when I blacked out soon after my plane crashed and the next thing I know, I'm lying on a hospital bed with splints all over my body. It's almost like a mental time travel, to be honest."</p><p class="">"That's…an interesting way to put it," Juno noted, "I guess I owed you an apology for that. If you hadn't tried to protect me…"</p><p class="">"What's done is done," Ribbon cut her up before she could finish, "What happened to me was of my own doing. There's no need for you to blame yourself for it."</p><p class="">"Still, it must've been quite an experience," Juno added, "That was probably the very first time in your career that you got shot down, right?"</p><p class="">"Yes, and it was quite a revelation, to be honest," Ribbon said, "That mission was a pilot's worst nightmare in every sense of a word. The enemy played smarter and used our best strength as a pilot against us. The very skills that made me unstoppable on the battlefield ended up being the very thing that almost killed us all."</p><p class="">Juno felt her body shudder a bit as she listened to the colonel's words. If even the Blue Ribbon almost didn't make it out of this alive, then what chance would the other pilots have? What chance would <em class="">she</em> have against a threat so terrifying?</p><p class="">"The only thing that kept most of us alive was teamwork," Ribbon continued, "We worked together to keep ourselves flying for as long as we could while we relied on the ground forces to get things done. If we hadn't then none of us would've made it off that island that night. That's the lesson I learned. That was the lesson Yellow Squadron taught me a long time ago – but I was too arrogant to learn back then. I thought I could handle anything by myself, that I wouldn't need anyone to help me win against those enemies. Well, the fact that I'm in this bed right now should tell you something."</p><p class="">"So what you're saying is that we need a good team," Juno noted, "I thought true ace pilots should be able to handle anything they come across on their own, no matter what it is?"</p><p class="">"A true ace pilot would, yes. Of that I have no doubt," Ribbon grinned, "But imagine <em class="">a functional team</em> of true ace pilots who worked together in perfect coordination, complementing each other's strengths and canceling out each other's weaknesses? Wouldn't that be something to see?"</p><p class="">Just then, as if on cue, the door slid open again as Trigger walked back into the room – along with two new guests who were both wearing OADF flight suits.</p><p class="">"The guests of honor have arrived, Ribbon!" Trigger announced cheerfully.</p><p class="">"Holy hell, Trigger. Is that who I think he is?" The first newcomer – a man probably in his mid-thirties – spoke out in awed.</p><p class="">The second newcomer – a short-haired lady of about similar age – smacked the man playfully on his shoulder, "Blaze! Be respectful! That's the <em class="">Blue Ribbon</em> himself!"</p><p class="">"Jeez, you and your husband can be such a dork sometimes, Nagase," Trigger grinned mischievously, "So, Juno, I suppose you haven't met these two yet, so lemme introduce you to…"</p><p class="">"It's okay, Mr. Trigger. I know exactly who they are!" Juno smiled as she bowed her head a little to greet the two pilots. How could she not know about them? Learning about ace pilots throughout history was practically her favorite free time hobby. And that's why Juno could know without a shred of doubt that she was now standing face-to-face with Blaze and Nagase – two of the Heroes of Razgriz themselves.</p><p class="">One thing that she remained puzzled, though, was <em class="">why</em> they were both here. Why were <em class="">all those famous aces</em> gathered here in this very room?</p><p class="">"This might be a bit sudden to you, Juno, but Ribbon and I were planning to put together a team," Trigger began, "Well, <em class="">not immediately</em>, if you must know. The colonel still has to wait until he's fully healed, after all."</p><p class="">"I've always wanted to fly alongside the Blue Ribbon himself!" Blaze spoke up excitedly. His expression was practically <em class="">giddy</em>, "God, I can't believe this is actually happening!"</p><p class="">"Blaze! Control yourself, please!" Nagase sighed, "Even after all these years, you still don't change one bit, captain…"</p><p class="">"That's it? Everybody's gonna ignore me like that?" Trigger said dejectedly, "I mean, the Arsenal Birds, Hugin and Munin. Really, guys?"</p><p class="">Ribbon couldn't help but feel amused at the whole thing himself, "You see, Juno? Imagine the potential if aces like us could work together as one – cooperating with elite teams of land and sea units from all over the world to do missions no one was capable of. Missions that only <em class="">we</em> can do. And we'd love it if you and your friends in Sol Squadron could join us."</p><p class="">"Me? Colonel, I'm just a rookie pilot," Juno chuckled nervously, "To even have the honor of standing among you aces was a once-in-a-lifetime privilege for me already. I wouldn't be actually useful to you out there."</p><p class="">"Everybody in this room all started out as a rookie, Juno," Trigger said kindly, "Me, Ribbon, the Razgriz pilots. We used to be nobodies ourselves, and look at how we turned out."</p><p class="">"I second that," Blaze added, "Becoming an ace pilot is a challenge in itself, but it's easier when you have friends who could grow stronger alongside you. That way, we can help each other improve ourselves to our maximum potential."</p><p class="">"Flying with my friends in the Razgriz was the best thing that happened in my life," Nagase spoke with a bright smile on her face, "There's nothing we can't do when we work together as one. Blaze, Trigger, and I know this from experience, as I'm sure you have had as well back at the Megalith. You won't regret it."</p><p class="">Juno glanced around the room and look at the four ace pilots surrounding her, feeling overwhelmed by their sheer presence alone, and that was before the realization that they had just asked her to join them finally started to sink in. She was amazed at herself that she hadn't fainted by now.</p><p class="">"So, what will you choose, Juno?" Ribbon asked, his smile never fading, "Are you interested?"</p><p class="">Juno already knew the answer.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Unknown Horizons</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Phoenix frowned as he doubled-checked the classified papers laid on the desk in front of him. He took a sip from his cup of coffee before sighing softly, still trying to comprehend the new information given to him by his fellow mercenary.</p><p>"I thought I finished off Z.O.E. decades ago." He said, his right index finger kept tapping on the desk impatiently, "Those things are supposed to be gone."</p><p>"Well, Ribbon's info proved otherwise," His partner replied, his grim voice told Phoenix that he too found the info troubling, "After all, it was one of those things that shot his ass down."</p><p>Phoenix leaned back on his chair, his eyes stared blankly at the ceiling above as he stroked his chin thoughtfully. The Z.O.E. drones were upgraded to become much more fearsome than he expected judged by how the RAVEN AIs performed in battles. Anything that was capable of shooting down a pilot like the Blue Ribbon does not mean good news in the least.</p><p>"Did they recover the wrecks of those things?" He asked, "If what those papers say is true and they can record our flight data, then we need to know who got their hands on them."</p><p>"Well, the Oseans managed to recover bits and pieces of Valravn at the Megalith when they went down to disable the nuke, but Ribbon destroyed its databank when he shot it down. Nothing we could recover from it," The man explained, "They had better luck at the space elevator, though. The one that was shot down underneath the structure was successfully recovered intact, though the other one that was shot down in Gunther Bay mysteriously disappeared. You could probably guess who's responsible."</p><p>Phoenix sighed again. He really hoped that his partner wouldn't say it, even though he already expected what the answer would be. Ouroboros has always been the one elusive bastard that stays ahead of them at every turn. Whatever it is, it has eyes and ears everywhere, and it's capable of anything. He and his partner, along with the Blue Ribbon of North Point, had been spending years trying to bring it to light – with little to no success.</p><p>Ouroboros - the tale of a gigantic snake that grew so large, it could wrap the entire world and grasp its own tail in its teeth – seemed rather fitting for a shadowy organization that spanned across the world manipulating history as they saw fit. From what Phoenix could dig up, they were the ones who supplied the Sky Fortress to the rebels during the Skully Islands Insurrection, and even the prototype Z.O.E. drones to the Rebel Forces during the Usean coup d'etat. Cipher, Mobius One, and Bartlett's own investigations revealed that some members of A World With No Boundaries terrorist group, the Free Erusea, the Grey Men, and 'The Generals' of Estovakia were actually double agents working for this elusive organization.</p><p>He could only imagine just what these people are capable of. They were involved in pretty much every conflict that took place ever since the Cold War in the eighties. Hell, perhaps even further back than before he was even born. They were determined to throw the entire world into an endless cycle of conflict, and nobody even has an idea that they even existed. They made the Grey Men look like amateurs in comparison.</p><p>"So now they got their hands on whatever flight data the drone's carrying. Just the good news we need, huh?" Phoenix finally said. His partner silently nodded without response, "Anything you got about that Free Erusea general?"</p><p>"Aldrich is dead," A short, bitter reply confirmed Phoenix's fears. His partner walked toward a kitchen counter next to the only window in the room then work himself a glass of coffee, "The news said he committed suicide in prison – apparently out of shame of what he did. We all know that's bullshit. Ouroboros got him somehow and made it look like a suicide. They don't like loose ends."</p><p>"Well, the guy did go rogue on them in the first place," Phoenix added, "Even stole Project Icarus right under their noses, too. No wonder why they wanted payback."</p><p>His partner actually chuckled a bit at that, feeling a little bit of respect for the deceased Erusean general. However batshit crazy his plan was, the fact that he managed to screw Ouroboros over even for a little bit was a high achievement in his eyes.</p><p>Still, that also means they had lost their only lead.</p><p>"I suppose your trip to Sotoa turned up nothing as well, right?" Phoenix asked.</p><p>His partner nodded as he finished preparing his coffee, "Ouroboros covered their tracks well. They planted fake trails all over the place. I'm even willing to bet that they aren't actually operating in that country at all, too. It's all just a big wild goose chase out there."</p><p>He walked over to sit at a nearby couch, a cup of coffee in his left hand.</p><p>"Goddamn, Pixy would be so much better at this investigation shit than me," He sighed, "I wish he's here."</p><p>"Didn't you guys used to be enemies?"</p><p>The man chuckled again, "Everyone is a potential enemy for people like us, Phoenix. You should know that already. In our line of work, there are no true allies."</p><p>"Having a title like the 'Demon Lord' would make people think twice before playing nice with you, you know?" Phoenix joked, "Hell, even 'Cipher' doesn't really make it sound any friendlier."</p><p>The man known as Cipher shot Phoenix a half-amusing, half-annoyed glare. It's true that his behaviors both in the air and on the ground didn't really earn him any true ally and many enemies, considering his ruthless reputation. Still, it's how he kept himself alive so far. As far as he's concerned, if it ain't broke, then don't fix it.</p><p>"Blame Brett Thompson and his silly documentary for my infamous reputation," Cipher said, "Though, it is a pretty well-done documentary if I must say. Really builds up how badass I was during the Belkan War."</p><p>"Heh. Someone's being cocky, isn't he?" Phoenix grinned, "Remind me again who fought in two conflicts and who only fought through one?"</p><p>"I watched seven nukes going off in my face and my own buddy tried to kill me. Top that, prick," Cipher chuckled.</p><p>"Point taken," Phoenix snickered, "So, back to the point. What do you think we should do about Ouroboros?"</p><p>"Well, seeing how Ribbon's out of the fight right now, I'd say there's not much we can do on our own," Cipher said, his expression turning serious again, "He did mention that he's thinking about forming a team, though. A team of ace pilots who could fill in for him while he's recovering. Bartlett told me that he'll be the coordinator for them."</p><p>"Yet you don't sound so thrilled," Phoenix noted upon examining Cipher's grim expression. It was obvious that something was troubling him about Ribbon's plan, "I thought having more allies to help us would make our jobs easier."</p><p>"It would, except it turns out one of the pilots he recruited turned out to be…" Cipher paused for a moment as if to gather his thoughts. He placed his cup of coffee down at the nearby table and leaned back on the couch lazily, his hands clasped behind the back of his head, "…Well, you know who I'm talkin' about."</p><p>Phoenix sighed. He knew exactly who Cipher was referring to. If that was true and the new pilot is actually the man he's thinking of, then this is only going to complicate things.</p><p>"He has to show back up in your life sooner or later," Phoenix said, "I told you before, remember? You can't escape your past forever."</p><p>"That's exactly what I'm afraid of," Cipher admitted, "The things we do here…he shouldn't be a part of that. I left him back then so he can have a decent, normal life, not…whatever the hell we got ourselves into right now."</p><p>"Kid's stronger than he looks, you know?" Phoenix said, "Bartlett told me all about what he and his friends went through in the Circum-Pacific War. All that Grey Men conspiracy they had to tangle with was not really that different from what we're dealing with now. I'd say he has what it takes."</p><p>"It's not about having or not having what it takes, Phoenix," Cipher shot back, "What I did during the Belkan War…what I did throughout all these years...The world that both of us lived in is not the world that he should involve himself in."</p><p>"Then why the hell are we still doing this, then?" Phoenix said, "None of this would've happened if we had just go back to our normal lives. That kid wouldn't have any reason to put himself in danger if you were there for him."</p><p>Suddenly, Cipher shot Phoenix a cold glare.</p><p>"I saw the world burned in front of me, Phoenix," Cipher said gravelly, "I went up against people who are more than willing to wipe out half the planet just to prove a point. Don't you dare ask me to let the world be when there are still people who are capable of pulling that shit off again. Don't you dare. I won't let that kid live in the world like that if I can help it, even if he has to grow up without me."</p><p>Phoenix remained quiet. Cipher, realizing that he may have overstepped a bit, composed himself and leaned back on his couch again to relax. Phoenix could understand the man's frustrations. He went through many horrors during the Belkan War that even Phoenix could only imagine, and he was right there when the nukes fell. Going through something like that would change anyone, no matter how much of a cold-hearted mercenary they once were.</p><p>Still, what Cipher is asking is outright impossible. Though he won't ever mention that in his face lest he wants Cipher to tear him a new one, Phoenix realized that it's going to take a lot more than a few ace pilots to go up against something like Ouroboros. There's only so much they can do as ace pilots, and as their new enemy proved time and time again, they're now taking steps to ensure that even their skills would become obsolete with the introduction of advanced AIs that could do anything they could with no human restrictions.</p><p>Despite what that new ace did at the Lighthouse, he's only prolonging the inevitable. They all are.</p><p>"I'll talk to Ribbon about the kid and tell him not to mention you to the kid until you feel you're ready to sort this mess out," Phoenix promised as he turned off his computer, trying to change the topic that Cipher was uncomfortable with. They have to talk about it sooner or later, but it's not going to be tonight. Cipher had too many things to worry about right now, "I'll also ask Bartlett about the drone they got from the Lighthouse as well. Maybe we could turn it into something we could use."</p><p>"As I recall, a Belkan scientist named Schroeder got his hands on it," Cipher replied, then quickly added once he saw Phoenix's worried face, "Don't worry. Bartlett said the doctor can be trusted – his ethnicity notwithstanding."</p><p>"I didn't say anything!" Phoenix wailed.</p><p>"Yeah, but you're thinking it. Why trust a Belkan?" For once, Cipher managed to smile a little, "Don't forget that my former wingman was a Belkan as well."</p><p>"And he tried to shot your ass down. Doesn't exactly help your case, you know?"</p><p>"Jerkass," Cipher chuckled, "So anyway, what I heard is that Schroeder's assistant – some kid named Simon – has plans to do something about that drone's AI. I don't know the details, but what I got was that he's been planning to make something that feels 'more human' than the emotionless AIs installed in those drones. Probably thought it would help make it more cooperating with us than its predecessors so that it won't actually try to end the world this time."</p><p>"And on today's episode of 'Has Science Gone Too Far?'", Phoenix said snarkily, "Nothing good ever comes out of drones. I've fought those things. The world would be better without it. That kid's going to create something he'd regret in the future, and we'll be the ones that pay for it."</p><p>"I'll tell Bartlett to keep an eye on him," Cipher said, "If that kid tries to do anything stupid with that AI, we'll be there to shut it down…or at least made sure that it's actually on our side for a change."</p><p>"Forgive me if I'm not as optimistic about it," Phoenix snickered. In his humble opinion, there's no such thing as a 'good' drone. He'd rather see them all destroyed if possible.</p><p>"So, you stayin' for the night? It's getting quite late," Phoenix offered.</p><p>Cipher waved his hands as he got up from the couch and tidy himself up, "Nah, I'm catching the next flight to Emmeria tonight. I've been looking over the files of this one Emmerian ace pilot. Figured he might make a good ally if I could convince him to join us. Hell, he might know something more about 'The Generals' that could help us as well. No promises, though."</p><p>"Heh, so we're really putting together a team for real, huh?" Phoenix chuckled, "I swear, if someone starts calling us 'Avenger Squadron', I'm gonna launch a sidewinder up their asses."</p><p>"You watch too many superhero films, buddy," Cipher laughed as he grabbed his jacket hanging next to the door, before turning back to Phoenix once more, "What 'bout you? What's your next move?"</p><p>"I think I'm going to South Osea next," Phoenix replied, "Bartlett mentioned that the whole damn region is about to go up in flames any day now. Leasath's leader has been ranting madly about how their neighbor Aurelia screwed them over and convinced his people to go to war with them. There's a big chance that Ouroboros is involved somehow."</p><p>"Well, that's one lead, at least." Cipher said, "So, you plannin' to add another war to your resume?"</p><p>"Tempting, but let's see how it goes," Phoenix grinned, "Chances are there's probably one crazy pilot who'd show up to deal with Leasath's nonsense sooner or later. Seems to happen in pretty much every conflict these past few years. It's always good seeing a new rising star in the business."</p><p>"And you gave me lips about putting together a team," Cipher said amusedly before he opened the door to leave.</p><p>"I'll contact you ASAP if there's anything that comes up. Until then, we both need to lay low for a little while longer," Cipher said as he turned to face Phoenix one last time, "The world's just returned to peace, after all, it's about time we enjoy it a little – as long as it last."</p><p>"Heh, amen to that," Phoenix replied back with a smile, "See you around, Demon Lord."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Any advice you can share to make effective dogfight scenes in writing is appreciated. This is a new experience for me and I'm not really confident in writing action scenes yet so any advice would be very welcomed. Thank you for reading, guys!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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